Coordinates: 15°47′59″S 47°51′51″W

National Congress of Brazil

The National Congress of Brazil (Portuguese: Congresso
National Congress
Nacional do Brasil) is the legislative body of Brazil's federal
government. Unlike the state legislative assemblies and Congresso Nacional
municipal chambers, the Congress is bicameral, composed of 56th Legislature of the National Congress
the Federal Senate (the upper house) and the Chamber of
Deputies (the lower house). The Congress meets annually in
Brasília from 2 February to 22 December, with a mid-term
break taking place between 17 July and 1 August.[2][3]
Type
The Senate represents the 26 states and the Federal District.
Each state and the Federal District has a representation of Type Bicameral
three senators, who are elected by popular ballot for a term of Houses Federal Senate
eight years. Every four years, renewal of either one third or
two-thirds of the Senate (and of the delegations of the States Chamber of Deputies
and the Federal District) takes place.[4][5] The Chamber of History
Deputies represents the people of each state, and its members Founded 6 May 1826
are elected for a four-year term by a system of proportional
representation. Seats are allotted proportionally according to New session 2 February 2022
each state's population, with each state eligible for a started
minimum of 8 seats (least populous) and a maximum of 70 Leadership
seats (most populous). Unlike the Senate, the whole of the President of Rodrigo Pacheco, PSD
Chamber of Deputies is renewed every four years.[6] the Federal since 1 February 2021
Senate
Until recently it was common for politicians to switch parties
and the proportion of congressional seats held by each party President of Arthur Lira, PP
the Chamber since 1 February 2021
would often change. Seats belong to the parties and not to the
of Deputies
politicians; one can only change parties and retain his or her
seat in a very limited set of cases. Politicians who abandon Government Eduardo Gomes, PL
the party for which they were elected now face the loss of Leader since 17 October 2019
their congressional seat.[7] Each house of the Brazilian Majority Aguinaldo Ribeiro, PP
Congress elects its president and the other members of its Leader since 30 March 2021
directing board from among its members. The President of
Minority Afonso Florence, PT
the Senate is ex officio the President of the National
Leader since 17 March 2022
Congress, and in that capacity summons and presides over
joint sessions, as well as over the joint services of both Structure
houses. The President of the Chamber is second in the Seats 594 members:
presidential line of succession while the President of the
81 senators
Senate (and of Congress) is third.
513 federal deputies

Federal Senate List

Contents political
groups   MDB (13)
Board of the National Congress
  PSD (11)
Houses
  PODE (8)
Federal Senate
  Always Forward (7)
Chamber of Deputies
Building   PSDB (6)
 2023 storming   Cidadania (1)
Gallery   PL (7)
National Congress building   PP (7)
Latest election   PT (7)
Legislatures   UNIÃO (7)
See also   PDT (3)
References   PROS (2)
External links   PSB (2)
  PTB (2)
Board of the National Congress   Avante (1)
  No party (1)
The current composition of the Board of the National   PSC (1)
Congress is as follows:[8]
  REDE (1)
Office Name Party State   Republicanos (1)
Rodrigo
President PSD Minas Gerais Chamber of List
Pacheco
Deputies
1st Vice- political   PL (77)
Lincoln Portela PL Minas Gerais
President groups
  Brazil of Hope (68)
2nd Vice-
Romário Faria PL Rio de Janeiro
President   PT (56)
1st Secretary Luciano Bivar UNIÃO Pernambuco   PCdoB (8)
2nd Secretary Elmano Férrer PP Piauí   PV (4)
Geovania de Santa   PP (58)
3rd Secretary PSDB
Sá Catarina
  UNIÃO (51)
Weverton
4th Secretary PDT Maranhão   PSD (46)
Rocha
  Republicanos (44)

Houses   MDB (37)

  Always Forward (29)

Federal Senate   PSDB (22)

  Cidadania (7)
The Federal Senate (Portuguese: Senado Federal) is the
  PSB (24)
upper house of the National Congress. Created by the first
Constitution of the Brazilian Empire in 1824, it was inspired   PDT (19)
in United Kingdom's House of Lords, but with the   PSOL REDE (10)
Proclamation of the Republic in 1889 it became closer to the
United States Senate.[9] Currently, the Senate comprises 81   PSOL (8)
seats. Three senators from each of the 26 states and three   REDE (2)
senators from the Federal District are elected on a majority
basis to serve eight-year terms. Elections are staggered so that   NOVO (8)
two-thirds of the upper house is up for election at one time   PODE (8)
and the remaining one-third four years later. When one seat is   PSC (8)
up for election in each State, each voter casts one vote for the
  Solidariedade (8)
Senate; when two seats are up for election, each voter casts
two votes, and the voter cannot give his two votes for the   Avante (6)
same candidate, but, in elections for the renewal of two-thirds   Patriota (5)
of the Senate, each party can present two candidates for   PROS (4)
election. The candidate in each State and the Federal District
  PTB (3)
(or the first two candidates, when two-thirds of the seats are
up for election) who achieve the greatest plurality of votes Elections
are elected.[10] Federal Senate Plurality voting, alternating
voting system every four years between

Chamber of Deputies single-member elections

(FPTP) and dual-member
The Chamber of Deputies (Câmara dos Deputados) is the elections (Block voting)
lower house of the National Congress, it is composed of 513 Chamber of Open list proportional
federal deputies, who are elected by a proportional Deputies representation (D'Hondt
representation of votes to serve a four-year term. Seats are voting system
method) with a 2% election
allotted proportionally according to each state's population,
threshold[1]
with each state eligible for a minimum of 8 seats (least
populous) and a maximum of 70 seats (most populous). Last general 2 October 2022
election
In 2018, 24 out of the country's 33 political parties were able Next general 4 October 2026
to elect at least one representative in the Chamber, while election
sixteen of them were able to elect at least one senator.
Meeting place
See the Latest election section for election
results table.

Building
In early 1900s, the Brazilian National Congress happened to
be in separate buildings in Rio de Janeiro which was then the
national capital. The Senate was located near Railway Nereu Ramos Palace, Brasília, Federal District,
Central Station, beside the Republica Square, at Moncorvo Brazil
Filho Street, where there is today a Federal University of Rio
de Janeiro students' center. The Federal Chamber of Deputies Website
was located at Misericórdia Street, which would later be the www.senado.gov.br (http://www.senado.gov.br)
location of the State of Rio de Janeiro's local Chamber of
www.camara.gov.br (http://www.camara.gov.b
Deputies. From the 1930s to early 1960s, the Senate
r/)
occupied the Monroe Palace, which was demolished in the
1970s to allow the construction of the subway Cinelândia
Station. The Federal Chamber of Deputies moved to Brasília in the early 1960s, a process that took years to
complete.[11]

Since the 1960s, the National Congress has been located in Brasília. As with most of the city's government
buildings, the National Congress building was designed by Oscar Niemeyer.[12]

The semi-sphere on the left is the seat of the Senate, and the semi-sphere on the right is the seat of the Chamber
of the Deputies. Between them are two vertical office towers. The Congress also occupies other surrounding
office buildings, some of them interconnected by a tunnel.

The building is located in the middle of the Monumental Axis, the main street of Brasília. In front of it there is a
large lawn where demonstrations take place. At the back of it, is the Praça dos Três Poderes ('Three Powers
Plaza'), where lies the Palácio do Planalto and the Supreme Federal Court.
On 6 December 2007, the Institute of Historic and Artistic National Heritage (Instituto do Patrimônio Histórico e
Artístico Nacional) decided to declare the building of the National Congress a historical heritage of the Brazilian
people. The building has also been a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as part of Brasília's original urban buildings,
since 1987.

2023 storming

On 8 January 2023, the building was stormed by Jair Bolsonaro supporters.[13]

Gallery

National Congress building

Chamber of Federal Senate Committee room Noble Room of the

Deputies Senate

Aerial view Exterior view of the Exterior view of the The National
Chamber of Senate chamber Congress building at
Deputies night
Front facade and The Congress as Legislative police Protesters during an
lawn, showing the seen from the officers outside the anti-government
twin towers. Monumental Axis National Congress demonstration in
building. front of the
Congress, 13 March
2016.
Latest election
Chamber of Deputies Senate
Party
Votes % Seats +/– Votes % Elected Total +/–

Social Liberal Party 11,457,878 11.7 52 +44 19,413,869 11.3 4 4 +4

Workers' Party 10,126,611 10.3 56 −13 24,785,670 14.5 4 6 −6

Brazilian Social
5,905,541 6.0 29 −25 20,310,558 11.9 4 8 −2
Democracy Party

Social Democratic Party 5,749,008 5.8 34 −2 8,202,342 4.8 4 7 +4

Progressistas 5,480,067 5.6 37 −1 7,529,901 4.4 5 6 +1

Brazilian Democratic
5,439,167 5.5 34 −32 12,800,290 7.5 7 12 −6
Movement

Brazilian Socialist Party 5,386,400 5.5 32 −2 8,234,195 4.8 2 2 −5

Republic Party 5,224,591 5.3 33 −1 3,130,082 1.8 1 2 −2

Brazilian Republican Party 4,992,016 5.1 30 +9 1,505,607 0.9 1 1 –

Democrats 4,581,162 4.7 29 +8 9,218,658 5.4 4 6 +2

Democratic Labour Party 4,545,846 4.6 28 +9 7,737,982 4.5 2 5 −3

Socialism and Liberty

2,783,669 2.8 10 +5 5,273,853 3.1 0 0 −1
Party

New Party 2,748,079 2.8 8 New 3,467,746 2.0 0 0 –

Podemos 2,243,320 2.3 11 +7 5,494,125 3.2 1 5 +5

Republican Party of the
2,042,610 2.1 8 −3 1,370,513 0.8 1 1 –
Social Order

Brazilian Labour Party 2,022,719 2.1 10 −15 1,899,838 1.1 2 3 –

Solidariedade 1,953,067 2.0 13 −2 4,001,903 2.3 1 1 –

Avante 1,844,048 1.9 7 +5 713,379 0.4 0 0 –

Social Christian Party 1,765,226 1.8 8 −5 4,126,068 2.4 1 1 +1

Green Party 1,592,173 1.6 4 −4 1,226,392 0.7 0 0 −1

Popular Socialist Party 1,590,084 1.6 8 −2 2,954,800 1.7 2 2 +2

Patriota 1,432,304 1.5 5 +3 60,589 0.0 0 0 –

Humanist Party of
1,426,444 1.5 6 +1 4,228,973 2.5 2 2 +2
Solidarity

Communist Party of Brazil 1,329,575 1.4 9 −1 1,673,190 1.0 0 0 −1

Progressive Republican
851,368 0.9 4 +1 1,974,061 1.2 1 1 +1
Party

Sustainability Network 816,784 0.8 1 New 7,166,003 4.2 5 5 New

Brazilian Labour Renewal

684,976 0.7 0 −1 886,267 0.5 0 0 –
Party

Party of National
634,129 0.6 3 – 329,973 0.2 0 0 –
Mobilization

Christian Labour Party 601,814 0.6 2 – 222,931 0.1 0 1 +1

Free Homeland Party 385,197 0.4 1 +1 504,209 0.3 0 0 –

 Christian Democracy 369,386 0.4 1 −1 154,068 0.1 0 0 –

Party of Brazilian Women 228,302 0.2 0 – 51,027 0.0 0 0 –

Brazilian Communist Party 61,343 0.1 0 – 256,655 0.1 0 0 –

United Socialist Workers

41,304 0.0 0 – 413,914 0.2 0 0 –
Party

Workers Cause Party 2,785 0.0 0 – 38,691 0.0 0 0 –

Invalid/blank votes 18,771,737 – – – 61,995,824 – – – –

Total 117,111,476 100.0 513 0 117,111,478 100.0 54 81 0

Registered voters/turnout 146,750,529 79.8 – – 146,750,529 79.8 – – –

Source: Election Resources (http://electionresources.org/br/deputies.php?election=2018&state=BR)

Legislatures
The Legislatures are counted from the first meeting of the Chamber of Deputies and of the Senate, on 6 May
1826, in the imperial era (the Chamber of Deputies met for preparatory sessions from 29 April 1826 onwards to
elect its officers and conduct other preliminary business, but the Legislature was formally opened on 6 May). The
Chamber of Deputies and the Senate were created by Brazil's first Constitution, the Constitution of the Empire of
Brazil, adopted in 1824. The previous Constituent and Legislative Assembly of the Empire of Brazil, a
unicameral National Assembly, that was convened in 1823 and that was dissolved by Emperor Pedro I before
adopting a Constitution is not counted among the Legislatures. Thus, the numbering includes only the bicameral
Legislatures that existed from 1826 to the present day, and includes only Legislatures elected after the adoption of
the first Brazilian Constitution.

In the imperial era, the national legislature was named General Assembly. It was made up of the Chamber of
Deputies and the Senate. Senators were elected for life and the Senate was a permanent institution, whereas the
Chamber of Deputies, unless dissolved earlier, was elected every four years. When Brazil became a Republic and
a Federal State the model of a bicameral Legislature was retained at the Federal level, but the Parliament was
renamed National Congress. The National Congress is made up of the Chamber of Deputies and the Federal
Senate. Both Houses have fixed terms and cannot be dissolved earlier. Under Brazil's present Constitution,
adopted in 1988, Senators are elected to eight-year terms, and Deputies are elected every four years.

The numbering of the Legislatures is continuous, including the Legislatures of the imperial General Assembly
and of the republican National Congress. The inauguration of a new composition of Chamber of Deputies for a
four-year term of office marks the start of a new Legislature.
Legislature Period Legislature Period Legislature Period Legislature Period Legislature Period

1st 1826– 13th 1867– 25th 1900– 37th 1935– 49th 1991–
Legislature 1829 Legislature 1868 Legislature 1902 Legislature 1937 Legislature 1995

2nd 1830– 14th 1869– 26th 1903– 38th 1946– 50th 1995–
Legislature 1833 Legislature 1872 Legislature 1905 Legislature 1950 Legislature 1999

3rd 1834– 15th 1872– 27th 1906– 39th 1951– 51st 1999–
Legislature 1837 Legislature 1875 Legislature 1908 Legislature 1954 Legislature 2003

4th 1838– 16th 1876– 28th 1909– 40th 1955– 52nd 2003–
Legislature 1841 Legislature 1877 Legislature 1911 Legislature 1958 Legislature 2007
5th 1842– 17th 1878– 29th 1912– 41st 1959– 53rd 2007–
Legislature 1844 Legislature 1881 Legislature 1914 Legislature 1962 Legislature 2011

6th 1845– 18th 1882– 30th 1915– 42nd 1963– 54th 2011–
Legislature 1847 Legislature 1884 Legislature 1917 Legislature 1967 Legislature 2015

7th 1848– 19th 1885– 31st 1918– 43rd 1967– 55th 2015–
Legislature 1848 Legislature 1885 Legislature 1920 Legislature 1970 Legislature 2019

8th 1849– 20th 1886– 32nd 1921– 44th 1971– 56th 2019–
Legislature 1852 Legislature 1889 Legislature 1923 Legislature 1975 Legislature 2023

9th 1853– 21st 1890– 33rd 1924– 45th 1975–

Legislature 1856 Legislature 1891 Legislature 1926 Legislature 1979

10th 1857– 22nd 1891– 34th 1927– 46th 1979–

Legislature 1860 Legislature 1893 Legislature 1929 Legislature 1983

11th 1861– 23rd 1894– 35th 1930– 47th 1983–

Legislature 1863 Legislature 1896 Legislature 1930 Legislature 1987

12th 1864– 24th 1897– 36th 1933– 48th 1987–

Legislature 1866 Legislature 1899 Legislature 1935 Legislature 1991

See also
Chamber of Deputies (Brazil)
Federal Senate (Brazil)
List of legislatures by country
Palácio do Planalto
Politics of Brazil

References
1. "Com dura cláusula de barreira, metade das siglas corre risco de acabar" (https://www.otempo.co
m.br/politica/com-dura-clausula-de-barreira-metade-das-siglas-corre-risco-de-acabar-1.2511424).
O Tempo (in Brazilian Portuguese). 12 July 2021. Retrieved 9 November 2021.
2. "Brazil – The legislature" (https://www.britannica.com/place/Brazil). Encyclopædia Britannica.
Retrieved 9 January 2020.
3. "The National Congress" (https://www2.camara.leg.br/english/the-brazilian-parliament). Portal da
Câmara dos Deputados (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 9 January 2020.
4. Bruns, Axel; Enli, Gunn; Skogerbo, Eli; Larsson, Anders Olof; Christensen, Christian (22
December 2015). The Routledge Companion to Social Media and Politics (https://books.google.c
om/books?id=OK1ACwAAQBAJ&pg=PA519). Routledge. ISBN 978-1-317-50656-0.
5. Brazil - The legislature (https://www.britannica.com/place/Brazil/The-legislature).
6. Ameringer, Charles D. (1992). Political Parties of the Americas, 1980s to 1990s: Canada, Latin
America, and the West Indies (https://books.google.com/books?id=kD5qi3MyEHYC&pg=PA105).
Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 105. ISBN 978-0-313-27418-3.
 7. Morgenstern, Scott; Nacif, Benito; Lange, Peter (4 March 2002). Legislative Politics in Latin
America (https://books.google.com/books?id=8noGeohnU3cC&pg=PA193). Cambridge
University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-79659-0.
8. "Mesa do Congresso Nacional" (https://www.congressonacional.leg.br/parlamentares/mesa-do-c
ongresso-nacional). Congresso Nacional (in Portuguese). Retrieved 25 January 2022.
9. "Senado Federal – SF" (https://dados.gov.br/organization/about/senado-federal-sf). Portal
Brasileiro de Dados Abertos (in Portuguese). Retrieved 25 January 2022.
10. "Como funciona a eleição dos senadores" (https://www12.senado.leg.br/noticias/materias/2018/0
9/13/como-funciona-a-eleicao-dos-senadores). Senado Notícias (in Portuguese). 13 September
2018. Retrieved 25 January 2022.
11. Brawer, Moshe (12 February 1992). Atlas of South America (https://books.google.com/books?id=d
buxCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA112). Springer. p. 112. ISBN 978-1-349-12579-1.
12. Bonfitto, Peter Louis (6 December 2021). World Architecture and Society: From Stonehenge to
One World Trade Center [2 volumes] (https://books.google.com/books?id=mPdPEAAAQBAJ&pg
=PA34). ABC-CLIO. p. 34. ISBN 978-1-4408-6585-5.
13. "Brazil protests: Lula vows to punish 'neo-fascists' after Bolsonaro supporters storm congress" (htt
ps://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jan/08/jair-bolsonaro-supporters-storm-brazils-presidential
-palace-and-supreme-court). the Guardian. 9 January 2023. Retrieved 9 January 2023.

External links
National Congress (http://www.congressonacional.leg.br) (in Portuguese)
Chamber of Deputies of Brazil (http://www.camara.leg.br/) (in Portuguese)
Chamber of Deputies' e-Democracy (https://web.archive.org/web/20180502160358/https://ede
mocracia.camara.leg.br/) (in Portuguese)
Senate of Brazil (http://www.senado.leg.br/) (in Portuguese)
Photos 360° of National Congress (https://web.archive.org/web/20110223044107/http://www.guia
bsb.com.br/pontos-turisticos/civico-e-arquitetonico/foto-360-congresso-nacional-brasilia-df.html)
(in Portuguese)

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