The second version of the project Law Bases obtained general approval in the Chamber of Deputies minutes before 9 in the morning with 142 affirmative votes (106 against), thanks to the majority support of the dialogue blocks (PRO, UCR, Hacemos, Federal Innovation and MPN). However, the approval of particular chapters will take a long time given that key points such as the delegated powers to dissolve public organizations, the tax on Profitsthe regime big investmentsthe labour reformtaxes tobacco and the privatizations.
UxP, the FIT, the socialists, and Natalia de la Sota from Córdoba voted against. The radical dissidents Facundo Manes, Fernando Carbajal, Marcela Coli and Pablo Juliano abstained, like Mónica Frade from the CC. However, the curiosity was the presence at the time of the vote of Marcela Paganowho had not been there at the beginning of the session to provide a quorum due to health problems (triggered by a spike in stress due to internal discussions in the libertarian bloc).
In order not to repeat the same mistakes that led to the failure of the first debate in February, the ruling party managed to impose that the project be voted for entire chapters, without entering into the debate article by article, and without any intermediate room. “They want to say little so that it happens quickly, so that the treatment is as dark and less transparent as possible,” denounced Germán Martínez, president of the Unión por la Patria bloc.
The session continued with strong crosses and accusations but slowly tempers began to calm down. During the afternoon, the general secretary of the Presidency, Karina Mileiand the Minister of the Interior, Guillermo Francosarrived at Congress and met with Martin Menem at his office. As reported to Infobaeboth officials did not come to participate in negotiations but to monitor the development of the session and to show political support.
As the day averaged, the list of individual speakers – more than 130 – allowed us to calculate that the vote in general would be around 8 on Tuesday and that it would then be followed by several hours of debate in particular. For this reason, the premises began to empty. Most of the deputies retired to have dinner and get some sleep.
It was precisely as a result of the absence of the majority of the legislators that Unión por la Patria made motions to consider the quorum fallen. “We have 45 deputies present, there is no quorum to meet”said Martín Soria. “As long as nothing is voted on there is no problem with the quorum, stop the chicanery“They already did it all afternoon,” he replied. Miguel Ángel Pichetto with visible annoyance.
However, negotiations and counting of support continued well into the early hours of the morning because several articles still did not have a clear consensus.
He article 3 was one of the most questioned, since it empowers the Executive Branch to “modify or eliminate the powers and functions” of the public organisms that you consider unnecessary; You could also merge them, modify their legal structures or the number of employees. Although the opinion included at the request of the UCR a list of organizations that would be exempt, such as Conicet, Incucai, INTA or the Malbrán Institute, the wording of the text generates rejections. “In this model, if it occurs to them to close SENASA, they can do it, we are not going to support it,” explained Maximiliano Ferraro, president and deputy of the Civic Coalition.
The tax on Profits He also received criticism from sectors of radicalism, the Hacemos bloc and deputies from Patagonian provinces. Everyone remembered that Milei himself had approved his elimination last year and that he had promised not to raise taxes.
“I cannot accompany the electoral scam of the Income Tax because we warned that (Javier Milei) was going to reduce spending, but in the campaign he did not say that the Income Tax was going to return and we want to ask the president for a stabilization plan” said the UCR deputy, Martin Tetaz.
Meanwhile, the questions to Large Investment Incentive Regime (RIGI) -which implies tax, customs and exchange benefits for projects of more than USD 200 million– revolved around discrimination against smaller companies and regional economies. In turn, the provinces pointed out that article 162, which establishes that if a province proposes a rule that goes against the facilities of the RIGI it is “null and void,” overwhelms the autonomy of the provinces.
“I am conceptually in favor of promoting investments, but not with this special regime, which in my case seems to me to have fallen short if I say that it is animalistic. “This project has nothing to do with the development of our country, with that serious development project that we need,” he said. Pablo Julianofrom the radicalism sector led by Facundo Manes.
On the other hand, the tobacco provinces together with the UCR and We Make the Federal Coalition will seek to reincorporate the chapter on tobacco taxes which was in the original text but was later withdrawn by the Executive Branch. This sector seeks to equalize the taxes paid by all companies. La Libertad Avanza and the PRO reject this initiative.
When discussing the articles of the labour reform The radical bloc announced that it will insist on including the elimination of the solidarity fee that unions charge non-affiliated workers by agreement. The bench led by Rodrigo de Loredo does not have greater support but will seek to “expose” the deputies who vote “in defense of the union caste.”
Finally, another point in doubt is the money laundering included in the tax package. The Civic Coalition and the wayward radicals have already announced their rejection.
Before the general vote, Miguel Ángel Pichetto He rebutted the libertarians’ criticism of “politics” and assured that it was approved thanks to the efforts of politics. In that sense, he also demanded that the Government continue along the “path of constructive dialogue and stop offending Congress”.
The head of the PRO bench also spoke out in favor of the project, Cristian Ritondo, which recognized that few governments took 5 months to have the tools to carry out their management plan. “We are not a government or co-government, but we feel the responsibility of voting”, he concluded.
“We leave with the conviction that we did what we had to do. The President said that he is going to invite those who support this law to the May 25 pact, with us who will save the invitation and the canapé. “We are going to be with the people,” he added. Leopold Moreau.
