MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Parliamentarian setback for Milei's Omnibus Law bill

“The governors did not keep their word,” Zago said.

Argentine President Javier Milei's La Libertad Avanza (LLA) Tuesday suffered a major blow in Congress when its workhorse Omnibus Law bill was sent back to further treatment by the various Lower House committees, thus annulling last Friday's broad approval.

In light of imminent defeat at the item-by-item voting on the House, LLA bloc leader Oscar Zago requested the entire bill be sent back to the committees, which, pursuant to Article 155 of the House's Rulebook renders all previous votes null.

Whether Zago was aware of the scope of his initiative remains to be seen. Interior Minister Guillermo Francos, who had been entrusted with garnering support from various governors to have the bill passed through the Lower House, was notoriously oblivious to this fact when he insisted during a TV interview that last Friday's broad approval stood. When Article 155 was read to him, he replied that the lawmakers of the LLA block must have been aware of that fact when they put forward such a motion.

For the ruling party, this parliamentarian setback to the the 646-article bill (hence the “Omnibus Law” unofficial title) meant a delay in the privatizations of public companies, and the increase of penalties for social protests, among other issues.

Everything looked favorable for LLA after Friday's session and even on Tuesday when an economic emergency declaration was agreed upon in addition to the granting of extra powers to President Milei. But things were stalled when most articles regarding the State's administrative reform failed to be greenlighted thanks to negative votes from Unión por la Patria and other parties.

“President Javier Milei took office on December 10, 2023, with the responsibility to free the productive forces of the Nation, face inflation and end the deficit. Under this mandate, he will not allow those who for years have benefited from a corrupt and impoverishing system to frustrate the future of all Argentines”, stated the President's office in an official communiqué through which Casa Rosda blamed the governors for their thumbs down “hours after agreeing to support it.”

“They decided to turn their backs to the Argentines to protect their interests and prevent the national Government from having the tools to solve Argentina's structural problems,” the Government added.

“We are not going to continue discussing with those who demand to keep their privileges while 63% of Argentine children do not eat. The law will be debated when they understand that it is the people who need it, not the Government”, the statement went on.

“It goes back to committee because there were deputies who had committed to accompanying us through the governors, and the governors did not keep their word,” Zago said.