Unable to build a consensus proposal, the government decided to seek support in the main benches of the Senate to approve the PEC (proposed amendment to the Constitution) of the Precatório, which defaults on federal debts recognized by the courts. However, it will have to give in with some amendments, such as two proposals by the MDB, which will inevitably result in the proposal returning for a new vote in the Chamber of Deputies.
The Senate’s largest bench, the MDB wants changes in the PEC. The suggestions are in line with a proposal by the senators of Somos, PSDB and Cidadania.
The request is for Auxílio Brasil, a substitute for Bolsa Família, to be a permanent social program, provided for in the Constitution, and allowing the amount of R$ 400 per month not to be reduced after December 2022.
“We are collecting the suggestions. If necessary, we will present some improvements to the text of the Chamber”, said the leader of the government in the Senate, Fernando Bezerra Coelho (MDB-PE).
Bezerra is the rapporteur of the PEC, which authorizes the government to spend another R$91 billion next year, when President Jair Bolsonaro intends to run for reelection.
With the resistance in Podemos, the third largest caucus, the government leader has the support of independent parties, such as the MDB and PSD, to approve the PEC. The scenario of the Senate approving the bill without changes is increasingly distant.
“This PEC cannot have a project that is temporary until December 2022. It has to be permanent. As long as there is misery and poverty in this country, public policy is permanent”, said the leader of the MDB in the Senate Eduardo Braga (AM).
“Therefore, one of the positions that need to be built so that this PEC can move forward is that this project can no longer be temporary, it needs to be permanent,” he added.
The other proposal of the MDB is to establish a lock for the payment of court orders, which would also undergo an audit.
Some MDB congressmen met this Wednesday afternoon (17) to discuss the issue. Officially, the meeting was to discuss the 2022 elections, but some participants acknowledged in private that the position of the largest bench in the Senate was the agenda.
In addition to Braga, senators Renan Calheiros (MDB-AL), Marcelo Castro (MDB-PI) and the national president of the party, deputy Baleia Rossi (MDB-SP) participated.
Bezerra also stated that there is no possibility of enacting the part of the PEC that is not changed. In other words, it would be necessary to wait for the Chamber to vote on the new version of the proposal for the measures that make room in the Budget to take effect.
“There is no possibility of slicing [da PEC]. We are going to work on a single text,” said Bezerra.
To avoid a possible delay, the rapporteur wants to vote on the proposal in the Senate plenary by November 30th. The government needs the enactment of the PEC by the beginning of December to guarantee the payment of R$ 400 to the beneficiaries of Auxílio Brasil.
As “plan B”, the Palácio do Planalto must have an MP (provisional measure) ready, which releases money to fund the expansion of the benefit of the social program from December 2021 until the end of 2022.
This move is seen as a way of trying to regain Bolsonaro’s popularity ahead of the election.
The government leader spent two days meeting with senators who presented alternative proposals to make room for payment for a new social program. At certain times, there was an indication that it would be possible to reach a consensus proposal, agreed between Bezerra and senators Alessandro Vieira (Cidadania-SE), José Aníbal (PSDB-SP) and Oriovisto Guimarães (Podemos-PR).
However, after a meeting on the afternoon of Wednesday (17), the parties left with speeches and defending their completely opposite proposals. The government decided to work to garner support to move forward with the text approved by the Chamber of Deputies, possibly needing to give in on some points — such as the amendments proposed by the MDB.
The other three senators, in turn, presented a joint proposal for the PEC, which provides for the payment of court orders outside the expenditure ceiling. The proposal also foresees the end of the controversial amendments of the rapporteur.
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