First-time allies when elected on February 1st, the presidents of , (-PB), and the Federal, (-AP), moved away and allies speak of a strained relationship since the .
The situation is far from a breakup. Both talk frequently, at events and on the phone, but political actions were no longer previously aligned and new clashes began to emerge. This, say congressmen, has affected the progress of proposals, leading to agendas being stopped after being approved by one of the Houses.
Center leaders highlight that this could also weaken Congress in the dispute with other Powers. In the words of one of them, a feud between deputies and senators weakens the Legislature as a whole. Politicians in dialogue with the heads of the Chamber and the Senate try to calm the situation to get around this.
The rejection of the , which blocked investigations against deputies and senators until there was authorization from Congress, still bothers the leaders of the Chamber, and an experienced parliamentarian from the center says that the deputies will still give a response to the Senate.
According to him, one option could be to block projects of interest to senators or even reject changes that the Senate may make to projects that return to the Chamber — such as, modified by senators and which will now have these changes subjected to scrutiny by deputies.
An ally of Motta also says that this tremor in the relationship between him and Alcolumbre is natural after the damage suffered by the senator. In addition to being criticized by public opinion, the president of the Chamber, who saw his support in command of the House further shaken.
When contacted via the press office, Motta and Alcolumbre did not comment.
The Senate, in turn, is uncomfortable with a change in the rules, made during the (-AL) administration in the Chamber, over those suggested by the deputies. With the change, if there is an older proposal authored by a deputy, he will have preference.
Although it seems like a mere procedural matter, the rite is relevant to the drafting of laws and ultimately defines who will have the last word, whether the Chamber or the Senate, on the content of the projects before they proceed to presidential sanction. The House that initiates the processing of the proposal has the prerogative to reject the changes made by the other.
The change has already caused clashes in the carbon market project, but the first divergence in the Motta/Alcolumbre management occurred two weeks ago, when . The Senate had already approved a text on the subject, but it was left aside.
Another dispute is about the free transport of a hand luggage on domestic flights. Motta announced that he would address the issue, but the Senate rushed and voted on a proposal first. Now, each House has a project awaiting deliberation by the other.
The current situation is very different from the beginning of their administration, marked by a double policy. They worked together to undermine Minister Alexandre Silveira (Mines and Energy) and traveled together to events such as São João in Petrolina and the Parintins Festival, in Amazonas.
Motta also unlocked one of the Senate’s main demands, even if it meant reducing the power of the Chamber: he allowed the return of Congressional committees to the MPs, in his personal feud with (PSD-MG).
Lira and Pacheco, then presidents of the Chamber and Senate, lived at odds during much of their terms. Projects approved in one House stalled in the other, the Chamber blocked the installation of joint committees and they spent months without talking, exchanging messages only through interlocutors.
Motta and Alcolumbre were elected and in the first months they worked closely together. But the relationship cooled down after the Blindagem PEC, which the president of the Chamber had personally committed to approving.
The rejection was followed by behind-the-scenes accusations of betrayal. Motta had promised deputies that there was an agreement with the Senate for quick approval. But thousands of people took to the streets in protest against the proposal, Alcolumbre sent it to a committee and there it was unanimously overturned.
Days later, in , they posted photos together on social media to refute accusations of a breakup.
Despite this, since the PEC the relationship is no longer the same, and Motta started telling allies that each House will pursue its agenda in its own way, without the need to agree the game beforehand.
This was what happened in the discussions about the anti-faction project sent by the government and the project that increased the Income Tax exemption – a function he used to attack the Chamber and Lira, his rival in Alagoas and who reported the proposal in the Chamber.
