What does a federal deputy do and how much does he earn?

Every four years, Brazilians choose 513 federal deputies who begin to serve in Brasília in the Chamber of Deputies. The composition of the House varies depending on the population of each state: the minimum is eight seats and the maximum is 70 — the case of São Paulo, which has the largest bench.

Unlike the election for president or governor, the choice for deputy occurs through the proportional system. In practice, this means that the number of individual votes is not the only decisive criterion. The distribution of seats depends on the electoral quotient and the performance of parties or federations.

Therefore, candidates with significant votes may not be elected, while others with fewer votes secure a seat thanks to the collective performance of the party.

What a deputy decides

The main function of the federal deputy is to create laws and supervise the other Powers. In parliamentary routine, this involves proposing bills, changing existing rules and monitoring the implementation of public policies. Discussions take place both in the plenary and in thematic committees, which analyze specific issues before the final vote.

It is also up to deputies to examine provisional measures sent by the President of the Republic. These measures have immediate force of law, but need to be considered by Congress to become definitive. Among the most relevant matters analyzed by the Chamber is the Budget Guidelines Law (LDO), which establishes goals and priorities for the use of public resources in the following year.

Furthermore, the Chamber participates in the definition and division of federal funds allocated to states and municipalities, known as parliamentary amendments.

But it’s not just federal resources that these politicians care about. According to the Constitution, only federal deputies can authorize the opening of proceedings against the president and vice-president of the Republic — the initial stage of a possible impeachment.

Read more:

• What is the difference between a blank and invalid vote?
• How does the electronic voting machine work?

Compensation and office structure

The gross monthly allowance of a federal deputy is BRL 46,366.19according to official information from the Chamber. Legal discounts apply to this amount, such as income tax and social security contributions.

In addition to the salary, the parliamentarian has the Quota for the Exercise of Parliamentary Activity (Ceap), which can reach up to R$45,612.53, depending on the state of origin. The resource is intended for expenses related to the mandate, such as airline tickets, office rent, fuel and communication services.

There is also funding to hire up to 25 parliamentary secretaries, which can reach around R$133,170.54 per month. The deputy can also receive housing assistance, coverage of medical expenses and graphic quota.

Prerogatives and limits

Federal deputies are inviolable for opinions, words and votes related to the exercise of their mandate. They also have a privileged jurisdiction, being judged by the Federal Supreme Court (STF) in criminal cases.

Loss of mandate may occur in cases such as repeated unjustified absences from sessions, definitive criminal conviction or violations of the Code of Ethics and Parliamentary Decorum, which include receiving undue advantages or manipulating votes.

Who can compete for a place

To run for one of the seats in the Chamber, the candidate must be Brazilian, be at least 21 years old, be affiliated with a political party, have a voting domicile in the state in which they intend to contest the election and be in full enjoyment of political rights.

With four-year termfederal deputies are part of the country’s legislative support base. The Chamber’s actions directly influence the budget, the economic agenda and the regulatory environment, factors that shape the political and fiscal scenario in each legislature.