Rodrigo Pacheco’s decision came shortly after receiving harsh criticism from Arthur Lira in a speech in Congress.| Photo: Edilson Rodrigues/Agência Senado

The president of the Senate and the National Congress, Rodrigo Pacheco (PSD-MG), decided this Thursday (23) to reinstall the joint committees for the analysis of provisional measures. The decision took place shortly after being the target of harsh criticism from the President of the Chamber of Deputies, Arthur Lira (PP-AL), who said that Pacheco acted with “truculence” in the negotiation for the return of the rite.

In a speech at the plenary session in the early afternoon, Pacheco said that the decision was approved by all party leaders in the Senate, also following a request by Senator Renan Calheiros (MDB-AL) filed on Wednesday (22).

“I announce the decision of the presidency of the National Congress (…) and we will resume the constitutional order in the immediate installation of the mixed commissions of provisional measures with the indications by the leaders of the Senate and Chamber of Members so that we can fulfill our constitutional role as we have always done even in the previous government”, he said.

The citation to the previous government referred to Lira’s earlier statement that the current government would support him in maintaining the rite of initial analysis of the projects sent by the Executive Branch.

Pacheco said that this decision removes “the concentrated power” of the presidencies of the two houses of Congress in conducting the assessment of provisional measures. Arthur Lira has not yet commented on the decision.