Rousseff urges senators to reject “budget eroders”

President Dilma Rousseff has called on the governing coalition senators to reject proposals that create costs for the government. During a meeting at Palácio da Alvorada (the official presidential residence) with 40 senators and 20 ministers in the evening of Monday (Aug. 10), she expressed concern about legislative bills that create long-term costs with no expected income to match them.

Following conversations with separate groups, the president asked the senators to make efforts to prevent approval of the so-called “legislative bombshells”. According to Senator Jorge Viana, the president did not mention any particular proposals, such as a bill to remove some of the tax exemptions given to companies that should be voted by the Senate this week.

According to Viana, Rousseff said she values the independence of the three government branches, but felt compelled to seek the Senate amid the current scenario facing Brazil and other countries. “She turned to the Senate to help the government save its agenda and vote bills that are beneficial to the country rather than create difficulties,” he said.

The dinner meeting was attended by several senators in the allied parties, as well as Vice-President Michel Temer, Finance Minister Joaquim Levy, Chief of Staff Aloizio Mercadante, and the head of the Civil Aviation Secretariat, Eliseu Padilha, who is ahead of the government's political coordination efforts alongside Temer.

Translated by Mayra Borges

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