Bolsonaro denies bargain with amendments and says Rosa Weber’s arguments are unfair

President Jair Bolsonaro (no party) criticized the decision of Minister Rosa Weber, of the Supreme Court (Supreme Court), to suspend the payment of parliamentary amendments controlled by the general rapporteur of the budget law that passes through Congress — strategic for Planalto in voting important.

For the representative, the arguments used by Rosa “are not fair” and there is no “bargain” in releasing these amendments.

“Now, the arguments used by the rapporteur of the Supreme Court are not fair, to say that we are bargaining. How can I bargain if who owns the pen is the rapporteur, a congressman? And it isn’t [orçamento] secret because it is in the Official Gazette of the Union,” said Bolsonaro, in an interview with Jovem Pan.

The interview to the station was recorded over the weekend, during Bolsonaro’s visit to Paraná, and broadcast this Monday morning (8).

Bolsonaro also argued that Parliament knows “where it needs resources” and that payments for rapporteur amendments are legal.

The rapporteur’s amendments have been handled by government officials with the support of the Planalto Palace on the eve of important votes for the Executive.

Before the approval of the PEC dos Precatório, for example, R$ 1 billion was released in amendments of this nature. This proposal allows for the expansion of public spending and makes possible the expansion of the Auxílio Brasil promised by President Jair Bolsonaro in an election year.

In the interview, Bolsonaro denied that the PEC dos Precatórios constitutes a “default”. For the agent, it is an “installment.”

“It passed the first round in the Chamber, I think it passes the second [turno], we’re going to have problems in the Senate. A Brazil that projects an excess of R$300 billion in the current year cannot allocate more than R$30 [bilhões] to attend to those most in need?” asked Bolsonaro. “There is a lack of heart.”

Rosa Weber’s decision was made in a lawsuit filed in June by PSOL. The minister stated that the suspension is necessary because these resources controlled by the rapporteur create “a privileged group of parliamentarians that will be able to allocate a greater volume of resources to their electoral bases.”

The magistrate also said that there is a lack of transparency in the destination of these amendments.

“There is no way to know who are, in fact, the federal deputies and senators of the components of this unknown group, since the budget schedule used for this purpose only identifies the figure of the general rapporteur”, he said.

The decision will be analyzed by the STF this week. The judgment will be virtual and the ministers will have the 9th and 10th to raise their votes in the system.

The suspension of these amendments, if maintained by the court, should increase the government’s difficulties to settle its agendas in Parliament.

The magistrate ruled that the amendments relating to this year’s fiscal year must be “completely and immediately suspended” until the Supreme Court gives a final word on the matter.

In the interview aired this Monday, Bolsonaro also complained about other decisions by Minister Rosa Weber that went against the Planalto.

The president cited Rosa’s determinations that stopped Bolsonaro’s measures that facilitated access to firearms in the country.

“It’s one after the other. The same Rosa Weber… not long ago [eu] I decided to zero the import tax on weapons, she thought it was unfair and vetoed it. I think there is an excess of interference by the Judiciary in the Executive”, declared Bolsonaro.

As he has done in recent interviews and statements, amid the increase in the price of gasoline, Bolsonaro again criticized the dividends paid by Petrobras and the pricing policy practiced by the company.

The president said that the dividends paid by the oil company are “absurd” and that the ideal would be “to get rid of Petrobras”.

“For me, the ideal is to get rid of Petrobras. Logically, privatize it for many companies, not take it away from the state monopoly and move to the private one. Slice it out of there,” he said.

He also added that a new price adjustment by Petrobras could occur and expressed concern about a possible stoppage of truck drivers.

“Petrobras is already talking about a new readjustment —I won’t omit information—, what is happening is a reality. And you see an increasingly growing trend of a movement of truck drivers to stop Brazil. Look, do you want to stop? It is not your right, we regret it because everyone loses with it, including yourselves,” said Bolsonaro.

“Now, let’s complain about who is really responsible for this: Petrobras is responsible. It is a company that exists in a monopoly for itself and its shareholders. I want to disclose, the numbers are astronomical for Petrobras’ profits throughout years, and a large part goes to shareholders”.