Brazil’s Congress Expected to Stay Busy Until End of Year

By Lise Alves, Senior Contributing Reporter

SÃO PAULO, BRAZIL – With only a few days before Brazil’s Congress is scheduled to begin its recess, representatives and senators are expected to have a very busy week. Representatives will choose members for the committee looking into the impeachment proceedings of President Rousseff and continue to discuss the ousting of Chamber president, while senators discuss the fate of Senator Delcidio do Amaral, accused of involvement in the Lava-Jato corruption scandal.

The week starts with the Chamber of Deputies setting up a special commission to analyze the request of impeachment of President Dilma Rousseff. Political parties have until Monday afternoon to nominate their representatives for the commission. The Commission will be made up of 65 representatives with another 65 representatives being on call as substitutes. All representatives will vote on members on Monday night, after nominations have been made.

Rousseff’s party, the PT (Workers’ party) and the PMDB party (of Brazil’s VP Michel Temer) will have the right to choose eight representatives each to make up the commission. Opposition party, the PSDB, and the third party with the most representatives in the Chamber will be able to nominate six representatives.

The Chamber of Deputies’ Ethics Commission will also continue to discuss whether of not to open up investigations against Chamber President, Eduardo Cunha, who is accused of a breach in legislative decorum for allegedly receiving money from the Lava Jato (Carwash) scandal. A decision is expected by the end of the week.

In the Senate, the Ethics Council is likely to continue to discuss the fate of Senator Amaral, arrested at the end of November by the Federal Police in the Lava-Jato (Carwash) scandal.

In addition, the mixed Congressional budget commission is still negotiating the terms of the 2016 Budget Bill, which by the rules, must be approved by the end of 2015. All of this should keep the Legislative Branch extremely busy in the coming weeks, since Congress representatives are scheduled to start their legislative recess on December 22nd.