Lousteau spoke about the quorum after the approval of the Bases Law: “I am not here to hinder”

After the approval of the Bases Law, Radical Senator Martín Lousteau, who was highly criticized for having voted against it despite having given a quorom for the session to be held, said that if he did not give the endorsement he would give more time to those who “negotiate to take things.” In an interview with Con Vos radio, he stated that “not giving a quorum is giving someone the key to continue negotiating perks. I am not here to obstruct, I am to improve what exists,” and, despite not having named the senators of Santa Cruz José Carambia and Natalia Gadano, he questioned them: “Some did not give a quorum and when it came to voting the things that were in the law they got up and left. You were pretending that you were against it and then you got up and enabled the delegated powers.” In addition, the president of the UCR National Committee defended his vote against the reform and differentiated himself from the senators of his space who supported it. “Most are against the law. The National Convention, chaired by Gastón Manes, is against it. There are a lot of radicals who are not deputies or senators. There is not a single radicalism,” he said. He then questioned the accusations of those who labeled him as a Kirchnerist for voting in a similar way to Union for the Homeland: “I do not look to the side, just as I do not accept pressure, neither from one side nor the other. I have a duty which is to study things, read them, and then make a decision and report why I made that decision. The debate on the Bases Law and the DNU became symbolic. If you don’t like them, you’re a Kirchnerist, if you like them, you help the government. Can we look at what’s inside?” Regarding the economic benefits of the project, Lousteau criticized that “with Personal Assets, it benefits the richest of the richest. And for the middle class, it gives them instability because of the Income Tax. And for retirees there is nothing.” He added that the reduction in Personal Assets has a cost similar to the minimum increase granted to retirees. He also commented that tax benefits for large companies had not been requested to the extent that they were granted. “It gives you priorities over natural resources. With the RIGI you are giving away money. Here Milei gives away money, he is clearly choosing winners,” he argued. Lousteau also criticized the tax laundering included in the bill, describing it as “the most generous and least controlled in history.” He pointed out that it allows laundering any amount at a zero rate and guarantees stability in Personal Assets until 2038, which, according to him, compromises tax policy for future governments.

Original source in Spanish