The Federal Senate plans to vote this week on new rules for implementing parliamentary amendments. The proposal, which has already been approved by the Chamber of Deputies, aims to establish clearer guidelines for the distribution and use of these resources, meeting the requirements of the Federal Supreme Court (STF) for the release of payments.
According to a study released by the Senate’s Independent Fiscal Institution (IFI), mandatory amendments, which include those from benches and individuals, have gained increasing importance in the Union’s budget.
In 2020, they represented just over 11% of discretionary expenses, those that the government can freely define. In 2024, this percentage rose to 16.8%, demonstrating a significant increase in Congress’s influence over the federal budget.
The 2024 calculation is partial, as it only includes transfers until September. The IFI survey shows that, until September, total discretionary expenditure reached R$153 billion and expenditure on parliamentary amendments totaled R$45.7 billion.
Points under discussion
One of the main points under debate is the possibility of the federal government blocking and contingency the execution of amendments to meet the fiscal target.
This prediction, which appeared in the initial version of the text, was modified in the Chamber of Deputies, maintaining only the possibility of contingency. The government is now seeking to recover the blocking option in the Senate.
The government leader in Congress, senator Randolfe Rodrigues (PT), expressed the Executive’s preference for having both possibilities available. However, it is not yet clear whether the STF will agree with the final version of the text that is approved by the legislature.
The vote is scheduled for Wednesday (13), as announced by the president of the Senate, Rodrigo Pacheco (PSD). Before the senators analyze the content, it will be necessary to vote on an urgency request, allowing the project to skip stages and be voted directly in the House plenary.
It is important to highlight that the new rules, if approved, will only come into force next year, and will not affect the amendments from the current or previous years.
The proposal seeks to bring more transparency and traceability to the process of allocating and using parliamentary amendments, a topic that has been the subject of intense debate and public scrutiny in recent years.
