Congressional activity is stalled as President Javier Milei’s government has yet to send to lawmakers the structural reform bills announced during his March 1 state-of-the-nation speech.
For now, the Chamber of Deputies is only scheduled to debate amendments to the Glacier Protection Law agreed with allied provincial governors, an initiative that has nonetheless faced resistance from some deputies who have backed the ruling party on other measures.
The changes were passed by the Senate on February 26 and the La Libertad Avanza (LLA) caucus hopes to enact it in a single session to be held in the first half of April, following public hearings, which have already run into complications after more than 25,000 people responded to the initial consultation.
Outside the debate over the Glaciers Law bill, parliamentary activity at the Lower House has effectively come to a halt as the government has not submitted any of the legislative proposals announced by Milei during his address to the Legislative Assembly.
Parliamentary sources told the Noticias Argentinas news agency that LLA expects legislative activity to resume once the government sends the bills currently being drafted, and that no further debates are scheduled until then.
During the March 1 Legislative Assembly, Milei announced plans to promote reforms to the Judiciary and the political system, as well as changes to the Civil, Commercial and Procedural Codes, education policy, customs rules and the tax system. He also said the government would submit an agreement with the United States for congressional ratification.
One of the first initiatives expected to reach the Chamber of Deputies was a political reform bill through which the ruling party aims to eliminate the PASO primaries, modify the system of campaign financing and tighten the requirements for the legal recognition of political parties.
However, a government source said the proposal has yet to be finalised.
“Since the new laws that will be sent to Congress have not yet been discussed at the political roundtable to assess their implications, scope and possible amendments, the political reform bill has not been defined yet within the government, nor has it been circulated among the governors,” the source said.
Meanwhile, the Senate has yet to decide whether it will hold a session this week or next to approve the credentials of several officials.
Among them is Carlos Alberto Mahiques, father of the current Justice minister, who is seeking to remain for a further five years as a representative of the Federal Criminal Cassation Court of Appeals before the Criminal Cassation Court.
The upper chamber has already passed all the legislation included in the extraordinary sessions agenda and is now awaiting new judicial nominations from the government. For the moment, it has only received promotions for six military officers.
The government intends to promote Vice-Admiral Marcelo Dalle Nogare, Vice-Admiral Juan Carlos Romay and Major-General Oscar Zarich.
– TIMES/NA
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