Lira sends a message to the government about amendments and says that the Budget is not just for the Executive – 02/05/2024 – Power

The president of the Chamber of Deputies, Arthur Lira (PP-AL), stated this Monday (5) that it is necessary for the federal government to comply with signed agreements and said that the Budget cannot be exclusively authored by the Executive Branch.

The parliamentarian’s speech took place during the opening ceremony of the legislative year, and was full of messages to the Lula (PT) government. In recent weeks, he has intensified the frying of the minister responsible for political articulation, Alexandre Padilha.

“We will remain firm in the practice of good politics, a prerequisite that is more than necessary for the exercise of democracy itself. And good politics, as we know, is based on an essential pillar: respect for signed agreements and commitment to our word”, he said , to applause from the plenary.

The president of the Chamber blames the minister for non-compliance with agreements, the main one being the release of funds for parliamentary amendments negotiated with deputies.

“The Union Budget belongs to everyone and not just the Executive, because, if that were the case, the Constitution would not determine the necessary participation of the Legislature in its preparation and final approval”, said Lira.

“It is not, nor can it be, the exclusive authorship of the Executive branch and, much less, of a technical bureaucracy, which, despite its preparation and I do not argue, was not elected to choose the nation’s priorities and does not waste the sole of its shoe going through small Brazilian municipalities, like us parliamentarians”, he further stated.

One of the points of friction between the Executive and the Legislative at the beginning of the year is Lula’s veto of R$ 5.6 billion to parliamentarians’ commission amendments, which tends to be overturned by Congress. There are also complaints about the MP published by the government at the end of the year that deals with the repayment of payroll.

In a tight year due to municipal elections, when Congress is traditionally emptied during the electoral process, parliamentarians should once again prioritize economic issues, as happened in 2023.

The statements come at a time when there is an escalation of tensions with Padilha, who was just one seat away from Lira at the table in the Chamber. Among them was only Minister Rui Costa (Casa Civil). Lula, just like last year, did not attend the event (her presence is not mandatory).

Amendments, one of the main points of friction, are a way in which deputies and senators can send money for works and projects in their electoral bases and, in doing so, increase their political capital. As shown by SheetCongress’s priority is to serve its electoral strongholds, and not the areas with the greatest demand in the country.

Lira spoke at a ceremony that marks the opening of the legislative year at the National Congress — this is the parliamentarian’s first public speech of the year. He did not participate in the Unshakable Democracy event, which marked one year of the coup attacks against the headquarters of the three Powers in early January, although he was scheduled to speak at the event.

The president of the Senate, Rodrigo Pacheco (PSD-MG), will speak next. President Lula (PT) did not attend — he selected ministers Rui Costa (Casa Civil) and Alexandre Padilha (Institutional Relations).

Despite pressure from Lira and leaders of the Chamber, Lula indicated to allies that he will not change Padilha. Allies of the two politicians claim that they should meet when parliamentary activities return (although there is no set date).

On the other hand, in recent days, Lula made a series of gestures to Pacheco and the vice-president of the Chamber, deputy Marcos Pereira (Republicanos-SP), who is one of the names considered to succeed Lira in the presidency of the House in 2025 and seeking support from the Executive.

Lula has already signaled that his intention is to support Pacheco’s candidacy for the government of Minas in 2026 and, according to the PT’s allies, he hopes to count on the parliamentarian’s support to postpone until mid-March the convening of a Congress session in which the presidential vetoes to the 2024 Budget.