The administration of José Antonio Kast officially submitted its flagship legislation, the omnibus bill—also known as the National Reconstruction Plan—to Congress this Wednesday, following a period of critical negotiations. The filing was finalized early this morning, with President Kast signing the document around 7:30 a.m., according to reports from El Mostrador.
The bill's arrival in the legislature follows days of uncertainty and last-minute adjustments. According to El Mostrador, the Executive entered the week with only 76 votes guaranteed, falling short of the 78 required to move the legislative initiative forward.
The Partido de la Gente (PDG) emerged as the kingmaker in the success of the initiative. While Franco Parisi publicly criticized the proposal, his party's congressional bloc remained open to dialogue, forcing the Government to renegotiate the original text.
Parliamentary pressure and legislative amendments
The PDG bloc conditioned its support on concrete measures, such as reducing VAT on medicines and diapers, as well as providing benefits for the middle class. The bloc's leader, Juan Marcelo Valenzuela, was blunt in stating that "the ball is now in the Government's court."
Faced with this situation, the ministerial team made real-time adjustments. The bill evolved to include negotiation points regarding pharmaceutical costs and the exploration of a special tax regime for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Finance Minister Mario Marcel and Presidential Secretariat Minister José García Ruminot maintained constant contact with lawmakers to prevent the initiative from collapsing.
The opposition also reacted sharply to the administration's maneuvers. The PPD warned the PDG not to "squander its political capital" by supporting tax cuts for corporations, while the Socialist Party characterized the negotiations as an "undemocratic vote-grabbing" tactic.
The Frente Amplio accused the administration of "shameless improvisation" regarding the shifting presentation dates. Meanwhile, the DC and PPD blocs stated they would not support the bill unless structural changes were implemented.
In response, the Government opened channels with the Demócratas party and maintained talks with the Frente Amplio. The final text presented today is the result of a high-pressure rewriting process aimed at securing the votes necessary for national reconstruction.
