The Government's priorities for the end of the legislative session and the bills that could be left on hold

Chamber of Deputies of the Nation Just days after Pope Leo XIV concluded his historic visit to Argentina, political timelines accelerated in Congress. Aware that only two weeks remain before the end of ordinary sessions, the Government began sending clear signals about its legislative priorities. Amid internal tensions that almost no one bothers to hide anymore, the wing of the ruling party led by Karina Milei and cousins Martín and Lule Menem began pressing to unblock the suspension of the primary elections (PASO). At the direction of the Casa Rosada, libertarian senator Agustín Coto called a meeting of the Constitutional Affairs Committee for next week; the idea is to issue a report on the political reform bill next Tuesday and achieve passage in the Chamber of Deputies on November 26. Under the Government's plan, the Chamber of Deputies will then give the bill final approval during the extraordinary December sessions, thereby complying with the request of the Electoral Justice, which warned that any change to the voting system must be made in even-numbered years to avoid "changing the rules of the game" so close to the elections. Without saying so, the Karina Milei faction is targeting Patricia Bullrich, because they suspect she has no real interest in suspending the primaries due to her personal ambition to compete against Milei in an internal party election. Nevertheless, those close to the bloc leader place the responsibility on the Executive Branch for failing to secure the votes. That is precisely what Cabinet Chief Diego Santilli will have to handle over the coming week. For its part, the Chamber of Deputies has also set its priorities. Next week it will call a special session on Wednesday to take up the Defense of Malvinas Sovereignty bill and the reform of the Central Bank's Charter. While both bills are expected to be approved, the Malvinas bill is headed for the amputation of Title VII, which introduces changes to the electoral regime and the Criminal Code to punish "foreign interference" in Argentine politics. Martín Menem, Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies This chapter draws objections from allied and dialogue-oriented blocs, which argue that its wording could affect freedom of expression and the work of non-governmental organizations. The Government committed to modifying the wording again but will not eliminate it outright as the opposition wants, and since amending electoral rules requires 129 affirmative votes, it is likely to be rejected. The following week, on Wednesday the 25th, the ruling party will bring the 2025 Budget bill to the floor. The text of the "law of laws" has not yet been reported out of committee because allied blocs such as the PRO, the UCR, Provincias Unidas, and Argentina Federal were still awaiting a response from the Ministry of Economy to most of their demands, which range from the revenue-sharing debts owed to the City of Buenos Aires to funding for Disability programs and Universities, road concessions, contributions to provincial pension funds, and cuts to the Liquid Fuels Tax. In this case, it will be the Senate that must complete passage of the Budget during December, something of vital importance for the Government when it comes to showing economic predictability and political stability to the markets in a context of strong international uncertainty and with some negative economic data at the local level. With so many high-profile issues on the negotiating table, it is likely that at least a dozen bills will be postponed until next year or simply fall into oblivion. Among them stands out the so-called Super RIGI, which the Government placed at the center of the agenda just a few months ago but which later lost momentum. The initiative, which has already passed the Chamber of Deputies, aimed to encourage large investments in new industries such as data centers and artificial intelligence with tax benefits for 30 years. But it became stalled in the Senate when the ruling party's allies demanded the inclusion of local suppliers. For now, there is no talk of it being taken up in the coming weeks. Conversely, the biofuels law passed in the Senate but became stalled in the Chamber of Deputies because the PRO, the UCR, and provincial blocs demanded greater protection for small and medium-sized businesses in Buenos Aires, Entre Ríos, and La Pampa, which will not be able to compete with the large producing companies of Córdoba and Santa Fe. Carlos Gutiérrez expressed his anger at the PRO for blocking the committee report. Among the pending issues, those that retain some possibility of being addressed during the extraordinary sessions are the new Mental Health law and the Disability law. The former, which among other points modifies hospitalization criteria, was recently approved in the Senate despite Peronist opposition but has not yet begun to be discussed in committee in the Chamber of Deputies. The Disability reform, for its part, achieved broad consensus in the Chamber of Deputies and should be taken up by the Senate in the short term. "We are ready to take up the Disability Law in the Senate. A necessary law to solve a problem that has been contested for far too many years and which, nevertheless, we have shown we can solve by talking," Patricia Bullrich posted on her social media. However, the message was interpreted as a challenge to the Casa Rosada, which has other priorities. Patricia Bullrich's tweet on Disability By contrast, the outlook is more uncertain for the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT), the Inviolability of Private Property Law (which restores limits on the sale of land to foreigners), the so-called Hojarasca Law, and the Incentive Regime for Major Investments. The first three have passed the Chamber of Deputies but were not even reported out of committee in the Senate. Finally, the gambling addiction law is headed toward losing its parliamentary status, even though Patricia Bullrich had announced it would be taken up "in the coming weeks" following an intense pressure campaign by the Catholic Church. "Childhood gambling addiction is not a game; it destroys children's lives and strikes families who often do not know how to help them. We will take up this law in the Senate in the coming weeks. Limits must be set," said Bullrich, but the legislation, which even restricts advertising by legal betting houses, is rejected by the provinces, which could see their revenues reduced.