Why has Brazil’s lower house stopped voting on bills?

It has been over a month since the Brazilian lower house last voted on a bill in Congress, approving changes to the country’s traffic code in late September. Since then, legislators have only voted on provisional decrees issued by the president or requests unrelated to actual policymaking. As The Brazilian Report showed last month, numerous party squabbles have stalled the works of congressional committees — a key part of the legislative process.

Earlier this week, Speaker Rodrigo Maia said that unless the agenda is cleared, the country will “explode in January.” He added: “The U.S. Dollar will reach BRL 7, long-term interest rates will skyrocket, and hyperinflation is a possibility.”

In response, the government’s whip in the House, Congressman Rodrigo Barros, said a deal has been reached...