2019 was a turbulent year in Congress, to say the least. An apparently interminable 12 months came to an end on December 20 with the approval of the 2020 federal budget, sending politicians off on holiday until February. Besides the heated and lengthy debates over the major pension reform approved this year, there was much friction between the congressional heads—Davi Alcolumbre in the Senate and Rodrigo Maia in the House—with President Jair Bolsonaro.
Without a doubt, the biggest vote in 2019 was the overhaul of Brazil’s social security system. Even with relatively little opposition, the government’s interference (or...
