Brazilian Senate Approves Base Text of Welfare Reform in Second Round Vote

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – At 7:22 PM, the president of the Senate, Davi Alcolumbre, proclaimed the result. The proposed amendment to the Constitution (PEC) was approved by 60 votes to 19.

“This year, the Senate faced one of the most difficult issues for the Brazilian nation,” Alcolumbre said at the end of the voting session. “All senators were personally involved in the discussions and perfected this matter, correcting some mistakes and doing social justice with those who need it most the most”.

The text required 49 votes to be passed, the equivalent of three-fifths plus one of the Senate membership. Now, the senators are voting on the riders, amending the basic text, which have been submitted by four parties: Pros, PT, PDT and Rede.

Proposed Rider Amendments

The first rider, proposed by Senator Weverton, seeks to suppress the transitional rules for retirement. Authored by Senator Telmário Mota, the second rider allows for a separate vote on the inclusion in years of coverage for workers receiving governmental medical disabiity payments for unhealthy conditions.

The third rider, from Senator Humberto Costa, deals with special retirement for workers exposed to harmful chemical, physical and biological agents.

The legislator wants to vote the expression “hazardous conditions” separately. Originally, there were doubts whether the amendment to the wording by the PT would change the text and require the PEC to be returned to the Chamber. However, an agreement of procedures by senators led to submitting the amendment to the Plenary.

The last rider, submitted by Senator Randolfe Rodrigues, allows for a separate vote on the minimum retirement age for workers exposed to noxious agents.

Before starting the vote on the basic text, the Plenary rejected, through a symbolic vote, two individual riders. Only four amendments to the text will be considered.

In the second round, only separate parts of the text approved by the Constitution and Justice Committee may be voted on, drafting amendments which clarify points in the text, or suppressing ones which remove points from the text. The reform can then be enacted and come into force.

The enactment of the Social Welfare reform is dependent on the convening of a joint session of the National Congress. Originally, the enactment could occur at any time after the Senate’s second-round approval.

However, in order to enact the PEC, Alcolumbre must wait for the return of the Chamber’s president, Rodrigo Maia, who is on a trip to the United Kingdom and Ireland, and also of President Jair Bolsonaro, who is currently in Asia.

Source: Agência Brasil

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