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| National Congress (Brazilian National Congress) | |
|---|---|
| Name | National Congress of Brazil |
| Native name | Congresso Nacional |
| Caption | Congresso Nacional in Brasília, designed by Oscar Niemeyer |
| Established | 1826 (origins), 1960 (Brasília seat) |
| Legislature | Bicameral: Federal Senate and Chamber of Deputies |
| Leader1 | President of the Federal Senate |
| Leader2 | President of the Chamber of Deputies |
| Members | 594 (81 Senators, 513 Deputies) |
| Meeting place | Brasília |
National Congress (Brazilian National Congress) The National Congress is the bicameral legislature of the Federative Republic of Brazil, composed of the Federal Senate and the Chamber of Deputies. Located in Brasília, the institution traces origins to the imperial General Assembly and the republican Constituent Assembly of 1987–1988, shaping federal law through statutes such as the 1988 Constitution. The Congress operates within a framework defined by figures like Getúlio Vargas, Juscelino Kubitschek, and jurists from the Supreme Federal Court.
The legislature evolved from the Cortes Gerais model established after the Liberal Revolution of 1820 and the 1824 Constitution of 1824. During the First Brazilian Republic an oligarchic Congress coexisted with regional power brokers such as the Coffee with Milk politics elites of São Paulo and Minas Gerais. The Vargas Era reconfigured representation, followed by the Estado Novo period and restoration under the Second Brazilian Republic. Military rule after the 1964 coup led to the Institutional Act Number Five curtailing legislative autonomy until the transition to democracy and the 1988 Constitution reestablished robust congressional powers alongside the MDB and parties like the Workers' Party.
The upper chamber, the Senate, has 81 members serving eight-year staggered terms; the lower chamber, the Chamber of Deputies, has 513 members elected to four-year terms under proportional representation. Leadership posts include the President of the Federal Senate and the President of the Chamber of Deputies, supported by Mesa Diretora councils and standing committees such as the Constitution and Justice Committee and the Finance Committee. Representation balances populous states like São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro with less populous states including Acre, Roraima and Amapá. Members affiliate with parties such as PSDB, PP, PL and regional caucuses including the Frente Parlamentar da Agropecuária.
Under the 1988 Constitution, Congress enacts federal legislation, approves the federal budget submitted by the President, authorizes declarations of state of defense and emergency measures, and exercises oversight via inquiries like the CPI. It confirms appointments to senior posts such as Supreme Federal Court justices and members of agencies like the Federal Police and the CGU. Congress can initiate constitutional amendments with support from parties across blocs like the PSB and DEM and plays a role in fiscal frameworks including the Fiscal Responsibility Law.
Bills may originate in either chamber, with tax and budget bills beginning in the Chamber of Deputies; after committee review, debates occur in plenary sessions presided over by leaders such as Rodrigo Maia (historical) or successors. Legislation proceeds through readings, committee reports by groups like the Human Rights Committee, and voting rules including absolute or qualified majorities for measures like constitutional amendment proposals. The President may sanction or veto laws; vetoes return for possible override by Congress, invoking procedures aligned with precedent from cases considered by the STF.
Congress interacts with the Executive through budgetary control, oversight investigations, and confirmation of appointments; major confrontations have involved presidencies of Fernando Henrique Cardoso, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Dilma Rousseff, and Jair Bolsonaro. The STF mediates constitutional disputes between branches, adjudicating matters such as parliamentary immunity and power allocation in rulings referencing doctrines from jurists in the STF. Congress can impeach presidents under procedures used in the Impeachment of Dilma Rousseff and the Impeachment of Fernando Collor de Mello.
The Congress meets in a landmark complex in Brasília designed by architect Oscar Niemeyer with the twin domes and the Plenary tower; the site forms part of the Plano Piloto and is adjacent to the Palácio do Planalto and the STF plaza. Historic sessions previously convened in Rio de Janeiro and in the Paço Imperial and later in Brasília's Esplanada dos Ministérios. Facilities include committee rooms, library holdings tied to the Biblioteca da Câmara and archives documenting debates on laws like the Statute of the Child and Adolescent (ECA).
Party dynamics involve broad coalitions and shifting blocs; major parties include PT, MDB, PL, PP, PSDB, PSOL, and newer formations like NOVO. Leadership posts rotate among parties via negotiated agreements, influencing committee chairs and agenda control; influential parliamentary leaders have included figures such as Eduardo Cunha, Arthur Lira, and regional powerbrokers from Minas Gerais and Bahia.
Congress has faced scrutiny over corruption scandals like Lava Jato implicating politicians across parties, the impeachment controversies involving Dilma Rousseff and allegations against Michel Temer, and debates over campaign finance reform following revelations about party funding and corporate contributions. Critics cite issues of clientelism, legislative productivity contrasts with other legislatures, and episodes of legislative-executive conflict judged by the STF and covered by media outlets including O Globo, Folha de S.Paulo, and Estadão.