PT deputies criticize PL nominees in charge of Chamber committees

PT deputies criticized the Liberal Party’s nominees to head some of the Chamber’s main committees. Among the main changes, the presidency of the Constitution and Justice Committee (CCJ) – considered the most important in the House – went to Caroline de Toni (PL-SC), while Nikolas Ferreira (PL-MG) will head the Education Committee ( CEC).

The national president of the PT, Gleisi Hoffmann (PR), stated that the PL appointed “too radical people” to preside over the collegiate bodies. She highlighted that the choices in the Chamber “have nothing to do with the government”. The distribution of chairs of permanent committees in the Chamber is based on the size of the benches. Caroline de Toni will replace PT member Rui Falcão (SP).

“Regarding the choice of committee presidents in the Chamber, it must be said that it has nothing to do with the government. We deal with who the population elects, taking into account the size of the benches. Just as the PT presided over the CCJ last year, being the 2nd largest bench, alternation through agreements has to happen. But it must also be said that yesterday’s outcome was very bad”, stated Gleisi in a publication on X.

“PL appointed people who were too radical, disrespectful to the CCJ and rude, such as the deputy to chair the Education committee. This speaks against the Chamber itself, unfortunately. It’s unfortunate,” he added. Representative Lindbergh Farias (PT-RJ) stated that it is “indisputable that the choices for the presidency of the CCJ were very bad”.

“The best example of this is deputy Nikolas Ferreira as president of the Education Committee. His preference for the homeschooling method is widely known! This is a crime against childhood that takes away from children the space for socialization and diversity at school, and the pedagogical qualifications of professionals in the field. Let’s fight so that this nonsense doesn’t affect our children!”, said Farias.

The deputy leader of the government in Congress, deputy Bohn Gass (PT-RS), stated that the PL chose for the CCJ a “deputy whose confidentiality was broken due to suspicion of an undemocratic act and, for the Education Commission, a person convicted of transphobia”. Also in social mediaErika Kokay (PT-DF) said that “the enemies of the interests of the Brazilian people have kidnapped some extremely important Commissions to decide fundamental issues for society”.

The government leader in the Chamber, José Guimarães (PT-CE), minimized the setback suffered by the Lula administration in appointments to the committees. “The government does not get involved in disputes over the composition and election of commissions, this is a prerogative of the benches and their leaders. Each leader forwards their priorities, meeting the proportionality criterion, according to the size of each bench”, he said Guimaraes.