Milei's vetoes: a resounding defeat for the ruling party in the House of Representatives

Deputies insist and reject Milei's vetoes: reinforcement for Garrahan and universities

the Chamber of Deputies dealt a legislative blow to the national government by voting against Milei's vetoes of two key bills: the declaration of a state of emergency in pediatrics and the update of university funding. The decision, approved by large majorities, now sends both texts to the Senate for eventual ratification.

Pediatric Emergency and the response to hospital collapse

In the vote on the pediatric emergency, the initiative received 181 votes in favor, 60 against, and one abstention; the push for university funding reached 174 votes in favor, 67 against, and two abstentions, according to the floor count. These numbers demonstrate a cohesive opposition and the ruling party's inability to retain support it previously considered its own.

The law declaring a pediatric emergency provides extraordinary funds for centers like Garrahan Hospital and provides for an inflation-linked salary increase for healthcare personnel. The university financing law, meanwhile, updates operating expenses based on a price index and mandates the reopening of university teaching salary negotiations.

University Financing: Updated according to the Price Index

In the days leading up to the election, the Executive Branch attempted to mend relations with the provinces: Interior Minister Lisandro Catalán met with governors, and the government allocated 12.5 billion pesos in ATN funds to Misiones, Entre Ríos, Santa Fe, and Chaco, a maneuver that was insufficient to sway the vote. The distribution of funds was interpreted by some as an attempt at political seduction , but it fell flat in the House.

The session also left signs of a rupture in blocs that had previously shown affinity with La Libertad Avanza : former allies and dissident seats voted against the Executive, as did legislators from other parties who preferred to distance themselves from the decision. This internal fragmentation and strategic absences highlighted the ruling party's isolation in the chamber.

With the vote in the House of Representatives, the expectation is that the Senate will confirm its insistence: the opposition hopes to replicate the majority it achieved in the lower house and thus overrule the presidential vetoes. If that happens, the laws would be formally repealed again and enacted in anticipation of the legislative agenda and the mobilizations already taking place in the streets.

Chamber of Deputies: numbers, fractures, and absences that marked the session

The session exposed the cracks in the blocs the ruling party considered allies: there were key absences and dissenting votes from legislators who had supported the government months earlier. As a political response, the Executive Branch attempted to reach out to governors with ATN transfers of 12.5 billion pesos to Misiones, Entre Ríos, Santa Fe, and Chaco, but the gesture was not enough to change the outcome in the House of Representatives. This dynamic underscores the government's difficulty in building stable majorities in a fragmented Congress.

The parliamentary scene now presents two scenarios: if the Senate ratifies the demands, the laws will be enacted despite the presidential veto; if it doesn't, the political conflict will remain open and tensions between the nation and the provinces could escalate. In the upcoming fiscal and political struggle, the Executive's ability to engage with governors and political blocs will be the decisive factor.

Conclusion: The legislative defeat poses an immediate challenge to the government's strategy with the provinces and its management of the 2026 budget. For the opposition, the vote represents a political and symbolic boost ahead of the elections and the public agenda in health and education; for hospitals and universities, it represents the promise of urgent financial relief, provided the funds are disbursed and properly monitored.