What also repeats the picture of the Chamber is the fact that the proposal, in the Senate, does not divide opinions in the classic "opposition versus government" way. Supporters of President Jair Bolsonaro (PL) do not have a consensus in defending the issue, as well as critics of the government do not close the issue on the subject either. As a result, lawmakers claim that the bill "needs more discussion", even though the initial bill was filed in Congress in 1991.
This is the approach of PSD leader in the Senate, Nelsinho Trad (MS). “The topic requires a broad and in-depth debate and we are going to dedicate ourselves to studying the project within the PSD,” he said.
The approach of "normal procedures" and "wider discussion" cited by Pacheco and reinforced by Trad indicates that the bill will go, in the Senate, to the usual line of proposals under consideration by senators. In other words, it will not receive special treatment, such as a direct vote by the plenary of the House. The Senate agenda is defined directly by the president, who assembles it after consulting party leaders. When an issue does not find consensus, the custom in Congress is to make it wait, even avoiding its rejection.
An example of this attitude was seen when the Senate paralyzed the process of the project that allowed the purchase of vaccines against Covid-19 by private companies. The initiative mobilized public debate at the beginning of last year, dividing sectors that defended the purchase, understanding that the action would relieve the public health network, and opposing sectors, who saw in the proposal the creation of a privileged line of immunization. After the project was approved by the House, it did not advance properly in the Senate, and has been without any processing since August.
Approval this year is unlikely
The context of doubt surrounding the bill on gambing makes senators believe that it is unlikely that the process will be concluded in 2022. "I think it is very difficult. And I believe that if you vote this year, everyone will lose," declared Senator Paulo Paim (PT-RS). The parliamentarian, who opposes the Bolsonaro government, said that the PT bench has not yet deliberated on the matter. In the Chamber session on the subject, all PT deputies voted against the project, with the exception of Paulo Pimenta (RS), who abstained.
Senator Esperidião Amin (PP-SC), whose party is from Bolsonaro's base, said he "does not see with sympathy" the proposal, but that, at first, he did not even appreciate it. "I don't consider this project a priority. So I didn't even devote my attention to it," he said. Senator Izalci Lucas (PSDB-DF) made a similar analysis. "This is not the time to approve a project with this content. It is time to fight the pandemic, to discuss the election," he said.
A more official opposition to the proposal must come from the evangelical bench. A report by Estadão newspaper indicated that the deputies of the sector intend to mobilize senators to stop the initiative – and they will use a network that was formed when the Senate evaluated the appointment of Minister André Mendonça to the Federal Supreme Court (STF). Mendonça, who is evangelical, had the support of the deputies, which was necessary to overcome resistance to him that existed within the Senate. "The [Evangelical] bench is united around this," a religious deputy told Gazeta do Povo.
Religious leaders were one of the main forces of resistance to the bill in the Chamber. They understand that the liberalization of gambing can stimulate problems such as prostitution and money laundering. In their opinion, the eventual increase in tax collection and the generation of jobs created with the regulation of the sector would not be enough to overcome the negative effects.
Source: Gazeta do Povo
