Lira softens tone and speaks in search of understanding with the Senate

The President of the Chamber of Deputies, Arthur Lira (PP-AL), this Thursday afternoon (23.Mar.2023) softened the tone against the Presidency of the Senate. In an official statement, he stated that “remains firm in search of an understanding with the Federal Senate, without violating the due prerogatives, so that we can seek the best solution to move forward, and not retroact to an outdated model”.

On the morning of this Thursday, Lira harshly criticized the Senate and accused the Lower House of truculence. The legislative houses are in the midst of an institutional crisis due to the impasse over the resumption of joint committees, composed of senators and deputies, to analyze provisional measures in Congress.

This Thursday, the President of the Senate, Rodrigo Pacheco (PSD-MG), decided to install the mixed committees even without the approval of the Chamber.

Lira’s note reaffirms her opinion that voting MPs directly in plenary, without going through joint committees, made it more “dynamic and efficient” the analysis of the texts sent by the government. Here’s the full of the note (23 KB).

In a nod, the president of the Chamber also said that it was “Positive attitude of the Federal Senate” to submit the provisional measures of the previous government for analysis by the Chamber.

Deputies should vote next week on 13 measures published during the administration of Jair Bolsonaro (PL). The impasse over the analysis rite remains for the texts sent by the government Lula (understand here).

“There will be a concentrated effort in the week of March 27th to 31st to analyze all this material. Brazil needs to move forward, with agility, understanding, respect for the autonomy of the powers and more democratic representation”, said Lira.

The Constitution determines that MPs, when they reach Congress, are analyzed by a joint committee of its own, with deputies and senators. During the pandemic, MPs began to be voted on first in the House plenary and then in the Senate.

This took power away from senators, who want the previous system back as soon as possible. Leaders in the House, however, do not want to “relinquish prerogatives”, according to Lira.

Here is the full text of the note from the Presidency of the Chamber sent on March 23, 2023 at 4:14 pm:

“NOTE TO THE PRESS

“The country demands from the Brazilian Parliament agility and resolution of important guidelines for the functioning of society.

“In the difficult period of the pandemic, voting on Provisional Measures directly in the Chamber and Senate Plenary Sessions, without going through Mixed Commissions, proved to be dynamic and efficient, respecting the expected time of analysis in this Legislative House of up to 90 days.

“This new experience demonstrated that we can be faster, as the population demands. This form has the support of almost all party leaders in the Chamber of Deputies, representing the set of 513 legitimately elected deputies.

“With this broad support, the Presidency of the Chamber of Deputies remains firm in search of an understanding with the Federal Senate, without violating the due prerogatives, so that we can seek the best solution to move forward, and not retroact to an outdated model.

“In this way, the Presidency of the Chamber understands as positive the attitude of the Federal Senate in forwarding the 13 Provisional Measures from the previous Government for analysis by this House.

“Thus, there will be a concentrated effort in the week of March 27th to 31st to analyze all this material.

“Brazil needs to move forward, with agility, understanding, respect for the autonomy of the powers and more democratic representation.

“PRESS OFFICE
“Brasília, March 23, 2023.”