PT retains the main committees of the Chamber and the opposition will be able to supervise

The president of the Chamber of Deputies, Arthur Lira (PP-AL), and the party leaders reached an agreement this Wednesday morning (15) to divide the commands of the permanent committees of the House. The PT took over the most important one, the Constitution and Justice (CCJ), and the commissions involved with the country’s economic agenda. The task of inspection was delegated to the opposition, through the Financial Inspection and Control Commission (CFFC).

The arrangement accommodated the interests of the government and the opposition and the presidents of the 30 collegiate bodies were confirmed by the vote of their respective members between the morning and afternoon of this Wednesday (15). The vice-presidencies will be defined next week.

The report found that there is an understanding in the Chamber that Lira achieved a balance of forces by assigning the main commission of the House to President Lula’s party with the compensation of giving the opposition command of the commission responsible for overseeing the government.

The “territories” are well demarcated, within a tradition and having parliamentarians very identified with their respective political groups, according to a party strategist who asked not to be named.

But, in parallel, Lira articulates to reduce Lula’s bargaining power in Congress by advancing on funds originally intended for Executive spending.

New commissions are reward for parties that supported Lira

In the current legislature, five new commissions had to be created to house the 20 parties that supported Lira’s reelection. His victory received votes from 464 out of 513 deputies, without formal support only from the Novo and PSol parties.

Political scientist Antonio Lavareda told People’s Gazette that, despite the increased number of command posts and captions contemplated, the result of the compositions for collegiate members in the Chamber does not differ from the usual practice in the House every two years, over the decades.

“The dispute has always been great, regardless of the government or the funds involved, because leading or at least being part of these committees is an important part of routine legislative activity,” he said.

Rui Falcão, from the PT, assumes the presidency of the CCJ

For the federations and parties of the left, led by the PT and linked to the government, the presidency of the CCJ was defined. It was given to Deputy Rui Falcão (PT-SP). This commission is responsible for giving the final authorization for projects to go to the plenary vote.

The group also stayed with the commissions involved with the country’s economic agenda, such as Finance and Taxation and Economic Development and Industry, Commerce and Services.

The leftist parties also stayed with the groups that deal with themes that are dear to them, in the commissions of Work, of Human Rights, of Defense of the Rights of People with Disabilities, of the Amazon and Indigenous Peoples and of Rights of the Elderly Person.

Lula’s allies receive commissions with electoral potential

Still in the field of parties in charge of the Esplanada dos Ministérios, the commands of the Education, Mines and Energy and National Integration and Regional Development commissions were defined for the União Brasil party. These collegiate bodies deal with large government projects and large portions of the federal budget.

The leaders of the Environment and Sustainable Development and Urban Development committees were reserved for the MDB, which deal with topics of great interest to the Planalto and with electoral potential. Still in the field of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s (PT) allies, the PSD was given the command of the Collegiate Committees for Roads and Transport and for Science, Technology and Innovation.

Opposition will have strategic space to supervise the government

The largest opposition party, the PL, will head the Financial Inspection and Control Commission (CFFC), considered strategic for identifying and investigating government failures and misdeeds.

Deputy Bia Kicis (PL-DF), president of the CCJ in the government of Jair Bolsonaro, was elected president of the CFFC. Chosen by 12 of the 14 votes, the deputy, a faithful ally of the former president, is also the first woman to chair the collegiate considered strategic for monitoring and overseeing the Union Budget. It may, for example, create constraints for the government by also summoning ministers to give explanations.

“We will do everything in the commission to fulfill our obligation. We did not come to make any fuss, but we have to monitor the government, with responsibility and respect. We want Brazil to be able to walk in line, obeying what the law dictates”, he said. her after her election.

Former president Jair Bolsonaro’s caption will also be at the head of the Health and Sports commissions, in addition to others more linked to the profile of the majority of its 99 deputies. Among them are the Commissions for Public Security and for Social Security, Social Assistance, Childhood, Adolescence and Family. The other opposition parties, Republicans and Progressives, will be, respectively, with Communication and Consumer Defense and Agriculture and Culture.

Independent parties also have committees

The rest of the parties contemplated in the division are situated in the field of independents. The Foreign Relations and National Defense Commission was left with the PSDB-Cidadania federation, the one for the Defense of Women’s Rights with Citizenship.

The Administration and Public Service Commission was assigned to Avante, the Participatory Legislation Commission to Solidarity and the Tourism Commission to Podemos. With the impasses overcome and the commissions’ commands defined, their work can finally start with at least two weeks of delay.

According to the party strategist in Congress heard by the report, the final portrait of the presidencies of the Chamber commissions reflects the unprecedented size of support sewn by Arthur Lira in his reappointment to the presidency of the Chamber.