PP calls STF to overturn Lula government’s minimum spending on health

This week, the Progressive Party (PP) filed a lawsuit with the Federal Supreme Court (STF) seeking to have article 15 of complementary law 201 of 2023 considered unconstitutional, which “provides for the use of net current revenue estimated in the Budget Law for 2023 to determine, in the year 2023, the minimum amount to be spent on public health actions and services by the Union”.

The action is against the government of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT), after obtaining authorization from the National Congress to spend less on health. The party’s initiative, whose president is senator Ciro Nogueira (PP-PI), could shake Lula’s confidence as he tries to get closer to the PP to form his allied base in the legislature.

In the document, the PP points out that the Constitution establishes that minimum resources must be calculated considering the actual revenue and not that foreseen in the Budget. And given this situation, the party demands that the law approved by Congress be considered unconstitutional and overturned by the STF.

The proposal that authorizes the government to disregard the minimum payment requirement was approved by the Senate in early October. With the approval of the measure, both in the Chamber and Senate, the government was exempt from the obligation to allocate 15% of Net Current Revenue (RCL) to health, saving between R$15 billion and R$20 billion.