Chamber hides authorship of R$1.3 billion in amendments, flouts Supreme Court, report says

Brazil's Chamber of Deputies has allegedly hidden the authorship of R$1.3 billion in committee amendments, repeating the logic of the "secret budget" that the Supreme Court declared unconstitutional. A report by the watchdog group Transparência Brasil analyzed 16,600 amendment indications totaling R$11.7 billion across the entire Congress last year.

The study found that seven blocs within the Chamber directed 16% of these funds under party leadership names, without identifying the specific lawmakers responsible. The Chamber's press office did not respond to an email inquiry. While the Senate identifies the author of committee amendments, the Chamber has opted for opacity. Transparência Brasil termed these "leadership amendments," operating similarly to the now-defunct "secret budget."

Since the Supreme Court's ruling against the "secret budget", known for its use of rapporteur amendments by congress members, the volume of committee amendments has surged by 68 times, continuing into 2026. Partial data from May shows R$373.8 million already registered under party leaderships. Most parties identified last year, except Solidariedade, continue this model, with PT also adopting it. Parliamentary amendments are divided into individual, bloc, and committee types; the first two are mandatory, while committee amendments, though not initially, have effectively become so through budget laws and political agreements.

Transparência Brasil also noted a pattern of concentrated distribution, with funds often directed to beneficiaries in one or two states, while the rest are dispersed. This suggests that final indications are made by various deputies from different regions, with party leaders securing larger portions. The Health Committee received the largest share of amendments, totaling R$818 million across 808 indications. The organization advocates for suspending and ultimately abolishing this practice, demanding the publication of meeting minutes and spreadsheets related to 2025 and 2026 indications, which were not found by the entity.