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| Congress of the Republic of Brazil | |
|---|---|
| Name | Congress of the Republic of Brazil |
| Native name | Congresso da República Federativa do Brasil |
| Legislature | National Congress |
| House type | Bicameral |
| Established | 1824 (origins) |
| Leader1 | President of the Federal Senate |
| Leader2 | President of the Chamber of Deputies |
| Members | Senators and Deputies |
| Meeting place | National Congress of Brazil, Brasília |
Congress of the Republic of Brazil
The Congress of the Republic of Brazil is the bicameral national legislature of the Federative Republic of Brazil, seated at the National Congress in Brasília near the Palácio do Planalto and Supremo Tribunal Federal complex. It traces institutional roots to the Constituent Assembly of 1823, the Constitution of 1891, the Constitution of 1934, the Constitution of 1946, the Constitution of 1967, and the Constitution of 1988, interacting with presidents such as Juscelino Kubitschek, Getúlio Vargas, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and Jair Bolsonaro.
The legislative tradition began under the Constitution of 1824 during the Empire of Brazil with a Chamber of Deputies and a Senate of the Empire, surviving transitions including the Proclamation of the Republic (1889), the Vargas Era, the Military dictatorship in Brazil (1964–1985), and the Redemocratization of Brazil. Key constitutional moments included the Constituent Assembly of 1933–1934, the Constituent Assembly of 1946, and the Constituent Assembly of 1987–1988, which produced the current 1988 Constitution. Legislative crises involved episodes like the impeachment of Fernando Collor de Mello and the impeachment proceedings against Dilma Rousseff.
The legislature comprises the Federal Senate and the Chamber of Deputies. The Federal Senate has representatives elected by each federative unit including the Federal District, while the Chamber of Deputies seats are apportioned by population across states such as São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, and Minas Gerais. Leadership posts include the President of the Federal Senate, the President of the Chamber of Deputies, and committee chairs drawn from parties like the Workers' Party, Brazilian Social Democracy Party, Liberal Party, Progressistas, Brazilian Democratic Movement, and Socialism and Liberty Party. The National Congress convenes in the Palácio do Congresso Nacional designed by Oscar Niemeyer.
Under the 1988 Constitution, the legislature enacts federal statutes, approves budgets including the Lei Orçamentária Anual, authorizes international treaties such as those ratified by the Itamaraty, and exercises oversight via probes like Comissões Parlamentares de Inquérito. The Senate holds specific functions like confirming presidential appointees to the Supremo Tribunal Federal, trying impeachments of officeholders, and ratifying treaties; the Chamber initiates revenue and budgetary bills and supervises administration through instruments including CPI investigations. Interactions involve institutions including the Presidency, the Ministry of Finance, the Federal Court of Accounts, and the Supremo Tribunal Federal.
Legislation may originate from the President, members of the Chamber of Deputies or Federal Senate, state legislatures like the Legislative Assembly of São Paulo, municipalities such as São Paulo, or popular initiative mechanisms. Bills follow committee review in bodies like the Comissão de Constituição e Justiça and floor deliberation in both houses, requiring quorum and votes according to rules in the Regimento Interno do Congresso Nacional. Passing appropriation bills involves the Lei de Diretrizes Orçamentárias and the Plano Plurianual process, while provisional measures such as Medida Provisória issued by presidents can convert into law subject to congressional approval. The process intersects with judicial review by the Supremo Tribunal Federal and administrative scrutiny by the Tribunal de Contas da União.
Major parties represented include Workers' Party, Brazilian Social Democracy Party, Brazilian Democratic Movement, Progressistas, Social Christian Party, Democrats (DEM), Socialism and Liberty Party, and newer formations like União Brasil. Leadership roles such as floor leaders, whips, and committee presidents coordinate agendas with cabinets of presidents including Michel Temer, Dilma Rousseff, Fernando Henrique Cardoso, and Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Coalition dynamics frequently involve negotiations with governors from states including Bahia and Paraná and influential figures like Aécio Neves, Ciro Gomes, Geraldo Alckmin, and Sérgio Moro.
Senators are elected for eight-year terms with staggered renewal cycles using plurality in each federative unit; the Chamber of Deputies uses an open-list proportional representation system with deputies serving four-year terms, with apportionment rules limiting minimum and maximum representation per state. Elections align with those administered by the Superior Electoral Court, often coinciding with presidential elections under the Electoral Code. Campaign financing and rules have been shaped by decisions of the Supreme Electoral Court and laws affecting parties like the Liberal Front Party and campaign financing reforms debated after cases such as the Mensalão scandal.
The legislature exercises checks on presidents through impeachment mechanisms used against Fernando Collor de Mello and Dilma Rousseff, confirmation powers over cabinet and judiciary nominees, and oversight via CPIs and budgetary control, interacting with institutions such as the Presidency and the Ministry of Justice. Judicial review by the Supremo Tribunal Federal can invalidate congressional acts, while the Superior Court of Justice and Tribunal de Contas da União adjudicate administrative and fiscal disputes. Political contests have involved alliances and confrontations involving military figures like Ernesto Geisel in historical contexts and contemporary actors such as Jair Bolsonaro and Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.