Exchange of votes between 1st and 2nd round was against PEC, but government took advantage of defaulters in the first session

The government managed to approve the PEC (proposed amendment to the Constitution) of the precatório with the help of those who were absent in the first round and despite the change in votes of deputies from the PDT, Podemos and PSDB and from the opposition of the majority of the MDB.

In all, according to the voting record of the second round of the PEC, held this Tuesday, 20 deputies exchanged votes in relation to the first round. Of this total, 15 decided to reject the proposal, after having voted in favor last week — a result drawn by Ciro Gomes’ PDT.

Only four switched sides to support the project. Delegate Antônio Furtado (PSL-RJ), who had voted against, abstained this time.

Although the balance is negative for the government in the exchange of votes, the Palácio do Planalto managed to increase the margin to approve the text in the Chamber after articulation with a focus on deputies who were absent in the first round of the PEC.

The government got the support of 28 deputies who had not positioned themselves in the vote on the base text last week, in the first round, when there were 312 favorable votes, only 4 more than the minimum necessary. The text went to the Senate.

This Tuesday night (9), the basic text was approved in the second round by 323 votes to 172, 15 more than the minimum necessary for changes in the Constitution, 308.

The PEC, if approved by the Chamber and Senate, will release more than R$91 billion in spending for the 2022 election year, according to the Ministry of Economy. This space in the Budget will make possible the promise of President Jair Bolsonaro (no party) to pay at least R$ 400 per month to the beneficiaries of Auxílio Brasil, a replacement for Bolsa Família.

Between the first and second round, there were also more votes against the PEC. There were 22 deputies who were not there last week and started to vote against the proposal. Among them, members of the MDB and PSDB. These benches split in the vote.

In the PSDB, considered the father of the LRF (Fiscal Responsibility Law), the majority of the bench in the Chamber aligned itself with the Bolsonaro government and the president of the Chamber, Arthur Lira (PP-AL).

The party gave 21 votes in favor of the PEC, which eases fiscal rules in the second round. In the first round, there were 22.

Only 11 against the proposal in the second round — and six in the first round.

Members of the acronym claim that the scenario will be different in the Senate party, which should be almost 100% against the PEC. The party’s leadership was unable to contain the willingness of the bench in the Chamber to align itself with Lira.

Last week, the support of dissident opposition deputies, mainly from the PDT and PSB, was crucial to the narrow-margin victory for the Planalto Palace.

The PSB, which articulates a PT alliance in next year’s elections, cast 10 votes in favor of the project.

Soon after the vote in the first round, Ciro Gomes (PDT) claimed to have suspended his candidacy for president of the Republic after the action of his bench in the Chamber.

The party’s leadership then acted to reverse the support of deputies to the PEC, which is seen as a measure to strengthen Bolsonaro’s campaign for re-election.

The pressure paid off. On the PDT bench, 11 deputies changed their vote, and started to take a stand against the PEC.

At PSB, there was no change between the first and second round.

Bolsonaro determined, in October, the increase of Brazil Aid to R$ 400, triggering a crisis between the political and economic wings of the government.

The solution to meet the president’s demand was to circumvent the spending ceiling, proposing a change in the calculation of the fiscal rule in the PEC dos Precatórios. This PEC, which was already in the Chamber, provides for a limit for payment of court orders (debts of the Union recognized by the courts), which frees up more space in the Budget.

The two changes provided for in the PEC —involving the spending cap and court orders— have the potential to open a gap of more than R$ 90 billion next year, guaranteeing resources for Auxílio Brasil, aid for truck drivers and offsetting the increase in expenses related to the high of inflation.

The increase in spending in the social area is a bet by Bolsonaro and his allies to try to strengthen the president in the 2022 reelection race.