Senate agrees to move forward with pension reform bill debate

The Senate has taken a step forward towards achieving the opposition's currently backed initiative to pass the pensioners' reform bill that would peg pensions to 82 percent of the minimum wage. Before the beginning of the session, the head of the pro-government party, Miguel Ángel Pichetto, and of the UCR, Gerardo Morales, decided to move the date set to discuss de controversial bill to October 13, while the resolution is expected to be cleared for debate on October 5 instead of September 28th. Meanwhile, the Upper House announced that they will debate the Glacier bill on September 8.

Although pro-government caucuses and opposition parties had agreed during the pre-session meeting to debate the pension bill reform on October 6, minutes before the session began, the leaders of the UCR and the Kirchnerite caucuses decided to postpone the pension bill reform debate to October 13.

This congressional decision shares several points in common with that of the same-sex marriage law, for a round of public hearings will be held all over the country for representatives to express themselves and share views on the matter. Lawmakers will be travelling throughout and leading the gatherings. According to congressional sources, these meetings will be set in motion next week.

Meanwhile, pro-government Senator Daniel Filmus asked for the glacier bill debate to be scheduled for September 8. During that session, they will also debate the cellular phone numbers bill that was going to be discussed today; however, they failed at acquiring Santa Fe Senator Roxana Latorre's signature in order to clear the bill for debate.