Who’s who in charge of Chamber committees – 03/07/2024 – Power

The Chamber of Deputies installed more than half of the House’s permanent committees on Wednesday (6), after a series of negotiations between party leaders. Of a total of 30 collegiate bodies, 22 were installed and 19 presidents were elected.

Former president Jair Bolsonaro’s PL chose names from his Bolsonaro wing to head strategic committees in the Chamber, putting President Lula (PT) under pressure.

Caroline de Toni (PL-SC) will preside over the CCJ (Constitution and Justice), considered the main one in the House, and Nikolas Ferreira (PL-MG), over Education.

The PT, in turn, will be in charge of Health, which, this year, has the largest number of amendments (R$4.5 billion). The person chosen to preside over the collegiate is Dr. Francisco (PT-PI), doctor and first-term federal deputy.

According to the Chamber’s rules, the committees are distributed according to the size of the benches, with the largest parties having preference when choosing the committees.

See who’s who in charge of the committees:

1) Constitution and Justice (CCJ)

Caroline de Toni (PL-SC): elected for her first term in 2018 and re-elected in 2022. From the Bolsonarista wing of the PL, she harshly criticizes Lula and his government. A member of the FPA (Agricultural Parliamentary Front), she served as a full member of the MST’s CPI last year. On social media she describes herself as a defender of life, freedom, family, agribusiness and public safety.

2) Education

Nikolas Ferreira (PL-MG): federal deputy with the most votes across the country in 2022, serving his first term. He collects controversies in the Chamber, such as the episode in which he put on a wig and made a transphobic speech in the plenary in an attack on trans women on International Women’s Day last year. With more than 10 million followers on Instagram, he defends agendas dear to Bolsonarism, harshly criticizes the left, President Lula and his government and the actions of STF ministers.

3) Social Security, Social Assistance, Childhood, Adolescence and Family

Pastor Eurico (PL-PE): Federal deputy in his fourth term, he was already affiliated with the PSB and Patriota. One of the most active members of the House’s evangelical bench, he was the rapporteur of the project that prohibits the possibility of civil marriage between people of the same sex in Brazil. On social media, he uses the motto “God, country, family and freedom”.

4) Public Security and Combating Organized Crime

Alberto Fraga (PL-DF): Federal deputy in his fourth term, he was already affiliated with the MDB and DEM. He is one of the main names on the bullet bench. A friend of former president Jair Bolsonaro, the parliamentarian harshly criticizes the Lula government and the PT president. Recently, he stated that the escape of two inmates from the federal prison in Mossoró was a “shame” and defended that someone be held responsible for what happened.

5) Sport

Antonio Carlos Rodrigues (PL-SP): First-term federal deputy and former senator, he was a minister in the Dilma Rousseff (PT) government and presided over the PL. From the group of parliamentarians closest to the president of the party, Valdemar Costa Neto, the deputy did not endorse the request for Lula’s impeachment due to the PT member’s statements about the Holocaust.

6) Health

Dr. Francisco (PT-PI): First-term federal deputy, is a doctor, was mayor of São Francisco do Piauí and secretary of health. This year, he presented a bill that creates a national policy to combat dengue fever, chikungunya fever and zika fever. He will preside over the commission with the highest amount of amendments (R$4.5 billion)

7) Agriculture, Livestock, Supply and Rural Development

Vicentinho Júnior (PP-TO): federal deputy in third term, is a member of the FPA (Agricultural Parliamentary Front). He is considered a name with a moderate profile, despite having signed the impeachment request for former president Lula.

8) Finance and Taxation

Mário Negromonte Jr. (PP-BA): federal deputy in his third term, has already presided over the CMO (Mixed Budget Committee). He is seen as a parliamentarian who has good dialogue with members of the government. In 2023, he acted at times in favor of the Executive in the MST CPI.

9) Economic Development

Danilo Forte (Brazil-CE Union): deputy in his fourth term, he was from parties such as MDB and PSDB. In 2023, he was rapporteur for the LDO (Budget Guidelines Law). He previously presided over Funasa (National Health Foundation).

10) Foreign Relations and National Defense

Lucas Redecker (PSDB-RS): In his second term as federal deputy, he is a member of the opposition to the Lula government in the Chamber. He signed a request for impeachment against the PT member.

11) Road and Transport

Gilberto Abramo (Republicanos-MG): federal deputy in his second term, is bishop of the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God. He is president of the Brazil-Israel Friendship parliamentary group.

12) Industry, Commerce and Services

Josenildo (PDT-AP): He was the federal deputy with the most votes in Amapá in the 2022 elections. In his first term, he is one of the government’s deputy leaders in the Chamber.

13) Culture

Aliel Machado (PV-PR): In his third term in the Chamber, he was rapporteur for the bill that regulates the carbon market, approved in the Chamber last year. He previously chaired the committee for the Defense of the Rights of the Elderly.

14) Human Rights, Minorities and Racial Equality

Daiana Santos (PC do B-RS): In her first term, she is a social educator and health specialist. She was a councilor in Porto Alegre Last year, she proposed holding the first solemn session in honor of the Chamber’s National Lesbian Visibility Day.

15) Consumer Protection

Fabio Schiochet (União Brasil-SC): Second-term deputy, he was already a member of the PSL. Last year, he chaired the Chamber’s Mines and Energy committee.

16) Defense of the Rights of People with Disabilities

Weliton Prado (Solidariedade-MG): In his fourth term as federal deputy, he was rapporteur for the 2014 Union Budget. He works on the health agenda, mainly topics related to cancer.

17) Participatory Legislation

Glauber Braga (PSOL-RJ): in his fifth term, he was already affiliated to the PSB. A lawyer, he previously chaired the House Education committee.

18) Defense of the Rights of the Elderly

Pedro Aihara (PRD-MG): in his first term, he is a military firefighter. He became known for being the spokesperson for the Minas Gerais Fire Department during operations following the Brumadinho tragedy.

19) Work

Lucas Ramos (PSB-PE): in his first term, he was the first vice-president of the House Industry committee last year.