Lower House passes key social reforms in scandalous session
Despite the distractions of a scandalous session starring angry national lawmakers, the Lower House passed a series of key social reforms this week.
Among a series of laws passed yesterday were the “Justina Law,” to automatically make all Argentine citizens over 18 years of age organ donors unless they formally request otherwise; the “Brisa Law,” to provide economic support to the children of deceased victims of gender-based violence; and a bill to urbanise the country’s shantytowns, known otherwise as villas miserias.
The latter bill, drafted by deputies Nicolás Massot, Mario Negri and Elisa Carrió (representing PRO, the Radicals and the Civic Coalition, the three main parties backing President Mauricio Macri) proposes expropriating the land of 4,228 shantytowns and giving property deeds to their current residents along with a full range of basic public services.
The lower house’s session lasted a total 15 hours, with each of the three bills receiving broad support extending well beyond party lines.
However, the session turned ugly when Carrió tried to address criticism she had received over statements in which she’d suggestedthe country’s middle and upper classes had a moral obligation to support the economy by giving tips to service staff and hiring informal workers like gardeners or cleaners.
“I wanted to make a clarification when I said that it was necessary to keep giving tips and bribes because I thought it was important,” the outspoken lawmaker said, referring to public furore and mocking she had been receiving.
Prior in the day, a waiter in the city of La Plata had responded to Carrió’s proposal by recalling how she had tipped him a meagre five pesos for his service 18 months ago. Carrió later confirmed the amount and said she had apologised to the waiter at time, telling him she had no more cash in her wallet.
The government-aligned lawmaker was quickly heckled and ridiculed in the chamber as temperatures rose. Carrió fired back, taking aim at opposition lawmaker Agustín Rossi.
“I looked at you and was reminded of Rossi’s brother, that’s why the bribes came to mind,” she said. “It was a lapse”.
“Do you know what, you stupid progressives? You don’t know who the poor really are,” she yelled.
Opposition lawmaker Graciela Camaño in turn criticised members of the opposition, saying it was “inappropriate that we heckle a lawmaker when she is speaking, no matter if we agree or not” with what that person is saying.
The raucous behaviour overshadowed the business of a busy Congress. On Tuesday, the Senate began debating the historic abortion bill which passed through the Lower House last month.
A final debate on the matter will be held on August 8.