By Alejandra García, September 4, 2025
Pensioners and people with disabilities protest Milei’s austerity plan. Photo: Anadolu/Getty
In a key vote, the government of far-right politician Javier Milei suffered a major setback in Congress on Thursday. The Senate rejected the presidential veto of the Disability Emergency Law, which had already been rejected by the Chamber of Deputies. This is the first time in 22 years that Congress has managed to override an executive veto. The vote was celebrated inside and outside Congress, where hundreds of people awaited the decision. This resolution comes amid a scandal over an investigation into alleged bribery in the purchase of medicines by the National Disability Agency (Andis), in which senior government officials are implicated, including the president’s sister, Karina Milei.
On this occasion, the libertarians only had the support of Carmen Rivero, from Córdoba, representing the PRO party, and Francisco Paoltroni. Former far-right president Mauricio Macri gave his senators “freedom of action” in a virtual meeting prior to the session. The Casa Rosada is already working on a strategy to take the case to court, a delaying tactic aimed at prolonging the process.
A month ago, the bill was passed with more than two-thirds of the votes in the Senate, foreshadowing this adverse outcome for the Casa Rosada. And this will not be the only defeat. The opposition is moving forward with a bill aimed at restricting the use of emergency decrees (DNU), Javier Milei’s favorite mechanism for bypassing Parliament, along the lines of Trump’s executive orders, which bypass the US Congress and judiciary.
Both initiatives have sufficient support and will not encounter major obstacles to their approval. The initiative puts a brake on Javier Milei’s strategy of governing by veto and decree: it stipulates that each DNU must be dealt with by Congress within a maximum of 90 days and that rejection by a single chamber will be sufficient to render it ineffective.
The law that Milei vetoed without hesitation declares a state of emergency on disability until December 31, 2026, and orders the executive branch to ensure adequate and sustained funding for non-contributory pensions, providers, and specific programs. In addition, it allows for automatic rate updates and authorizes the granting of pensions to people over 70 or with disabilities who do not have their own resources and who have a Unique Disability Certificate (CUD). It also incorporates mechanisms for institutional dialogue with the Federal Disability Council and empowers the chief of staff to make budget increases without affecting social service allocations.
“People with disabilities slow Milei down”
During Thursday’s debate, senators from different blocs criticized the grounds for the presidential veto, which argued the need to preserve fiscal balance. “This veto is a brutal expression of contempt for the rights of people with disabilities,” said Daniel Bensusan (UxP-La Pampa). Natalia Gadano (UxP-Santa Cruz) expressed a similar opinion, stating, “You cannot veto dignity or equality.” For her part, Senator Juliana di Tullio (Unión por la Patria) stated that it is people with disabilities “who are holding back this government and President Javier Milei.” Di Tullio pointed to the audio recordings and the bribery scandal at ANDIS and stated that “this government is corrupt.” She recalled that when the emergency disability law was passed, “government trolls threatened us with tanks.”
In addition, Peronist Senator Mariano Recalde argued that Javier Milei’s government is implementing “a policy of exclusion” and that the goal is “to leave people out.” “The most vulnerable people in this country are in a desperate situation,” he said.
In a scenario marked by the election campaign, heated interventions are expected, as well as the certainty that the ruling party will reach the electoral ban with Congress becoming one of its biggest fronts of dispute, while the president’s popularity plummets. This week, Milei had to be evacuated during a campaign event in the province of Buenos Aires after his was surrounded by protesters who, amid shouts and insults, threw stones and other objects at a vehicle in his presidential motorcade.
Source: Resumen Latinoamericano – English