Without a strategy or commissions formed, the treatment of the “omnibus law” in Deputies is delayed

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Contrary to the push that President Javier Milei gives to his “omnibus law” for State reform, the start of the debate continues to be delayed in the Chamber of Deputies. Martín Menem has not yet managed to unblock the formation of the commissions that will intervene in the treatment and the ruling party lacks a strategy and a roadmap.

The La Libertad Avanza bloc, headed by Oscar Zago, received this Tuesday in the White Room the Minister of Human Capital, Sandra Pettovello, and secretaries of the areas under her charge, to resolve doubts about the social aspects of the project. But no work plan was drawn up and some officials already suspect that the extraordinary sessions will extend until February.

The project of 664 articles with which Milei wants to direct his management does not even have a commission yet. And although the opposition warned that it should be dealt with in at least 20 working bodies due to the number of issues it addresses, Menem could not even advance in the constitution of the five “governance” commissions.

“They didn’t ask for anything, they didn’t talk about numbers, they didn’t make the transfers or explain which commissions,” a parliamentary source from Unión por la Patria was outraged. The PRO and We Make the Federal Coalition (Miguel Pichetto’s bloc) have already proposed their names, and at the UCR they did so only this Tuesday.

The delay is due, in part, to the claim of Unión por la Patria, which is the first minority. The head of the bench, Germán Martínez, demanded by note that Menem comply with the criteria that was approved in the venue for the distribution of places, that is, by block according to the D’Hont system.

The commissions to be formed are those of Budget and Finance, Constitutional Affairs, General Legislation and Foreign Relations. There they will remain as presidents, respectively, José Luis Espert (Avanza Libertad), Nicolás Mayoraz (LLA), Gabriel Bornoroni (LLA) and Fernando Iglesias (PRO). To these would be added that of Political Trial, which would also be integrated despite not having an agenda.

At the same time, the fight for the Bicameral of Legislative Procedures, the filter for the presidential “mega DNU”, does not stop. Although the Senate has already sent its eight representatives, Deputies have not yet done so because Menem intends to give three of the eight places to Unión por la Patria, which claims four.

The delays contrast with the speed that Milei wants to give to his administration and his “ultimatum” to Congress. In his end-of-year message, the president warned deputies and senators that “they will have to choose if they want to be part of the solution or if they want to continue being part of the problem.”

“They will be faced with two options: they will be able to reject the law and continue with the model that has impoverished us for 100 years, or they will be able to approve the law to make a profound change and once again embrace the ideas of freedom,” he insisted.

Senate

For her part, Vice President Victoria Villarruel deactivated a conflict with the Frente de Todos in the Senate, after last Friday she signed a resolution forming seven commissions with a majority of La Libertad Avanza and allied opposition blocs, and without members of the Peronist interbloc. Kirchnerist.

The head of the Upper House signed a second resolution this Tuesday to complete the integration of these commissions, which will meet this Wednesday to rule on the single paper ballot projects and international agreements, with the intention of taking them to the floor next Thursday the 11th.

First, Budget and Foreign Relations will meet at 2:30 p.m. to discuss four agreements that seek to eliminate double taxation with Japan, China, Turkey and Luxembourg, and one on reciprocal investment promotion with the Arab Emirates.

Then, another plenary session of Constitutional Affairs and Justice will address the single ballot project approved in Deputies from 5:30 p.m. If everything happens according to Villarruel’s plans, the initiative would obtain a favorable opinion with 11 of the 19 signatures of the first commission, and 10 of the 7 of the second commission, thanks to the support of the entire non-Kirchnerist opposition.

The reform (which is complemented by the elimination of the PASO, included in the “omnibus law”) seeks to imitate the model applied in the province of Córdoba, with a single ballot divided into rows and columns that includes candidates from all categories. , with the option to vote by complete list.