Lower House passes government bills on private property and disability

The Lower House of Argentina's Congress passed two significant government bills on private property and disability funding during a session that concluded early Thursday. The ruling party La Libertad Avanza (LLA) secured a victory with the approval of the Private Property Inviolability Law, which received 124 votes in favor compared to 119 against.

This legislation, previously passed by the Senate in August, had faced criticism for potentially eliminating restrictions on foreign land ownership in Argentina. However, the Senate's version had excluded this proposal after failing to gain sufficient support. Despite opposition attempts to repeal President Javier Milei's 2023 decree temporarily lifting restrictions on foreign property ownership, the Supreme Court reinstated the restrictions shortly after.

To secure the bill's passage, LLA decided to incorporate the foreign land purchase limits into the Private Property bill, which will proceed to the Senate for approval. Another important victory for LLA was the approval of a bill providing additional funding for disability services, with 237 votes in favor, nine against, and four abstentions.

This permanent funding framework would replace the current emergency regime set to expire at the end of December 2025. The opposition initially opposed extending the emergency law for another year due to concerns about President Milei's potential veto. Deputy Marcela Pagano, a former LLA member, expressed skepticism about the bill, suggesting that the primary objective may have been to gain the favor of Pope Leo XIV, whose planned visit to Argentina was scheduled for November.