The Minister of Economy, Luis Caputo, targeted Congress after the rejection in the Chamber of Deputies of the vetoes on university funding and the declaration of the pediatric emergency.
According to him, Parliament is determined to break fiscal balance and to weaken President Javier Milei, ahead of a new key debate in the Senate.
Rejection in the Chamber of Deputies and official warning
The Chamber of Deputies approved the pediatric emergency by a wide majority, with 181 affirmative votes, and university funding, with 174 votes in favor. Both initiatives had been vetoed by the Executive, which considered them risky for public accounts.
According to the Congressional Budget Office, the pediatric emergency represents a cost of 0.019% of GDP, while the increase in university funds amounts to 0.23%. For the Government, these amounts compromise the fiscal balance strategy.
Toto Caputo apuntó contra el Congreso: 'Buscan voltear al Presidente'
In this context, Caputo stated that behind these measures there is a deliberate attempt to "bring down the President" and called on citizens to defend the economic course in the October elections.
The Senate decides on the ATN
The tension will move this Thursday to the Senate, where the law requiring the automatic transfer of National Treasury Contributions (ATN) to the provinces and the City of Buenos Aires will be debated. The Executive keeps that this regulation limits the national Government's ability to respond to emergencies immediately and at its own discretion.
In the presidential veto, the ruling party argued that the ATN play a strategic role within Argentine federalism by serving as rapid financial assistance in the face of provincial imbalances. Meanwhile, the governors promoted automatic distribution, considering that the Government was unduly withholding the funds.
Adorni apuntó contra el Congreso por las leyes vetadas y defendió el plan de Milei
Recent transfers to provinces
Despite the controversy, the Casa Rosada recently transferred 12.5 billion pesos ($12,500,000,000) to four provinces: Misiones, Entre Ríos, Santa Fe, and Chaco. The figure represents a sharp increase compared to the 3 billion pesos ($3,000,000,000) transferred in August.
The amounts were distributed as follows: Misiones received 4 billion pesos ($4,000,000,000), Entre Ríos 3 billion pesos ($3,000,000,000), Santa Fe 3 billion pesos ($3,000,000,000), and Chaco 2.5 billion pesos ($2,500,000,000). From the Ministry of the Interior, headed by Lisandro Catalán, it was pointed out that these were previously agreed transfers and not an electoral use of the funds.
