Federal Senate

Federal Senate Senado Federal
55th Legislature of the National Congress
Coat of arms of Brazil
Type
Type	Upper house of the National Congress of Brazil
Term limits	None
History
Founded	May 6, 1826 (1826-05-06)
New session started	February 2, 2016 (2016-02-02)
Leadership
President	Renan Calheiros, PMDB Since February 1, 2013
Majority Leader	Eunício Oliveira, PMDB
Minority Leader	Alvaro Dias, PSDB
Government Leader	Delcídio Amaral, PT (under arrest, deputy leaders serving as acting leaders)
Structure
Seats	81

Political groups	Government (52) PMDB (18) Government Support Bloc (14) PT (11) PDT (3) Progressive Democracy Bloc (10) PP (6) PSD (4) Union and Strength Bloc (10) PR (4) PTB (3) PSC (1) PRB (1) PTC (1) Minority (29) Opposition Bloc (16) PSDB (11) DEM (4) PV (1) Socialism and Democracy Bloc (10) PSB (7), non-aligned PPS (1), opposition PCdoB (1), government REDE (1), non-aligned No party (3)
Length of term	Eight years
Elections
Voting system	Plurality voting, alternating every four years between single-member elections (FPTP) and dual-member elections (Block voting)
Last election	October 5, 2014
Next election	October 7, 2018
Meeting place

Senate plenary chamber National Congress Palace Brasília, Federal District, Brazil
Website
http://www.senado.gov.br

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The Federal Senate (Portuguese: Senado Federal) is the upper house of the National Congress of Brazil. Created by the first Constitution of the Brazilian Empire in 1824, it was initially similar to the United Kingdom's House of Lords.^[1] Since the Proclamation of the Republic in 1889 the Federal Senate has resembled the United States Senate.

Currently, the Senate comprises 81 seats. Three Senators from each of the 26 states and three Senators from the Federal District are elected on a majority basis to serve eight-year terms. Elections are staggered so that two-thirds of the upper house is up for election at one time and the remaining one-third four years later. When one seat is up for election in each State, each voter casts one vote for the Senate; when two seats are up for election, each voter casts two votes, and the voter cannot give his two votes for the same candidate, but, in elections for the renewal of two-thirds of the Senate, each party can present two candidates for election. The candidate in each State and the Federal District (or the first two candidates, when two thirds of the seats are up for election) who achieve the greatest plurality of votes are elected.

The current president of the Brazilian Senate is Renan Calheiros, from the Brazilian Democratic Movement Party of Alagoas. He was elected in early 2013 for a two-year term.

History

Conde do Arcos Palace, seat of the Imperial Senate

Monroe Palace, second seat of the Senate

The Federal Senate in 2014

Exterior view of the Senate chamber

The Federal Senate of Brazil was established as the Senate of the Empire by the Constitution of 1824, first enacted after the Declaration of Independence.

Following independence, in 1822, Emperor Pedro I ordered the convocation of a National Assembly to draft the country's first Constitution. Following several disagreements with the elected deputies (which included representatives from present-day Uruguay, then part of the Brazilian Empire under the name of Província Cisplatina), the Emperor dissolved the Assembly. In 1824, Pedro I implemented the first Constitution which established a Legislative branch with the Chamber of Deputies as the lower house, and the Senate as an upper house.

The first configuration of the Senate was a consulting body to the Emperor. Membership was for life and it was a place of great prestige, to which only a small part of the population could aspire.

Members of the Senate were elected, but they had to be at least 40 years old and have an annual income of 800,000 contos-de-réis, which limited candidates to wealthy citizens. Voters also faced an income qualification. Voting in an election for the Senate was limited to male citizens with an annual income of at least 200,000 contos-de-réis. Those who qualified for this did not vote directly for Senators; instead, they voted for candidates to be Senate electors. To be a Senate elector required an annual income of 400,000 contos-de-réis. Once elected, these electors would then vote for senator. The election itself would not result in a winner automatically. The three candidates receiving the most votes would make up what was called a "triple list", from which the Emperor would select one individual that would be considered "elected". The Emperor usually chose the candidate with the most votes, but it was within his discretion to select whichever of the three individuals listed. The unelected Princes of the Brazilian Imperial House were senators by right and would assume their seats in the Senate upon reaching age 25.

The original Senate had 50 members, representing all of the Empire's Provinces, each with a number of senators proportional to its population.

Following the adoption of the 1824 Constitution the first session of the Senate took place in May 1826. The Emperor had repeatedly delayed calling the first election, which had led to accusations that he would attempt to establish an absolutist government.

Current Senators

Federative Unit		Party	Birth city	Term	Notes
Acre	Gladson Cameli	PP	Cruzeiro do Sul, AC	2015-2023
	Jorge Viana	PT	Rio Branco, AC	2011–2019
	Sérgio Petecão	PSD	Rio Branco, AC	2011–2019	Elected as a member of PMN, he switched to PSD in September 30, 2011.^[2]
Alagoas	Fernando Collor	PTB	Rio de Janeiro, RJ	2015–2023	Re-elected
	Benedito de Lira	PP	Junqueiro, AL	2011–2019
	Renan Calheiros	PMDB	Murici, AL	2011–2019	President of the Senate
Amapá	João Capiberibe	PSB	Afuá, PA	2011–2019	Re-elected.
	Davi Alcolumbre	DEM	Macapá, AP	2015 - 2023
	Randolfe Rodrigues	REDE	Garanhuns, PE	2011–2019	Elected by PSOL, left the party to join REDE when the latter was sanctioned as an official political party in September 2015.^[3]
Amazonas	Sandra Braga	PMDB	Manaus, AM	2011 - 2019	Substitute for Eduardo Braga
	Omar José Abdel Aziz	PSD	São Paulo, SP	2015 - 2023
	Vanessa Grazziotin	PCdoB	Videira, SC	2011–2019
Bahia	Walter Pinheiro	PT	Salvador, BA	2011–2019
	Lídice da Mata	PSB	Cachoeira, BA	2011–2019
	Otto Alencar	PSD	Bahia	2015–2023
Ceará	Tasso Jereissati	PSDB	Fortaleza, CE	2015–2023
	José Pimentel	PT	Picos, PI	2011–2019
	Eunício Oliveira	PMDB	Lavras da Mangabeira, CE	2011–2019
Distrito Federal	José Antônio Machado Reguffe	PDT	Rio de Janeiro, RJ	2015–2023
	Cristovam Buarque	PDT	Recife, PE	2011–2019	Re-elected.
	Hélio José	PMB	Corumbá de Goiás, GO	2015–2023
Espírito Santo	Magno Malta	PR	Itapetinga, BA	2003 - 2019	Re-elected.
	Ricardo Ferraço	PMDB	Cachoeiro de Itapemirim, ES	2011–2019
	Rose de Freitas	PMDB	Caratinga, MG	2015–2023
Goiás	Wilder Pedro de Morais	DEM	Taquaral de Goiás, GO	2011–2019	Replaced Demóstenes Torres, removed from office for breach of parliamentary ethics.
	Lúcia Vânia	PSDB	Cumari, GO	2011–2019	Re-elected.
	Ronaldo Caiado	DEM	Anápolis, GO	2015–2023
Maranhão	Epitácio Cafeteira	PTB	João Pessoa, PB	2007–2015
	Roberto Rocha	PSB	São Vicente Ferrer, MA	2015–2023
	Edison Lobão	PMDB	Brasília, DF	2011–2019
Mato Grosso	Wellington Fagundes	PR	Rondonópolis, MT	2015–2023
	Blairo Maggi	PR	Torres, RS	2011–2019
	José Medeiros	PPS	Caicó, RN	2011–2019
Mato Grosso do Sul	Delcídio Amaral (arrested)	PT	Corumbá, MS	2011–2019	Re-elected.
	Simone Tebet	PMDB	Três Lagoas, MS	2015–2023
	Waldemir Moka	PMDB	Cáceres, MT	2011–2019
Minas Gerais	Aécio Neves	PSDB	Belo Horizonte, MG	2011–2019	Leader of the Opposition in the Senate.
	Antonio Anastasia	PSDB	Belo Horizonte, MG	2015–2023
	Zezé Perrella	PDT	São Gonçalo do Pará, MG	2011–2019	Substitute of Itamar Franco, deceased.
Pará	Flexa Ribeiro	PSDB	Belém, PA	2011–2019	Re-elected.
	Marinor Brito	PSOL	Alenquer, PA	2011–2019
	Paulo Rocha	PT	Curuçá, PA	2015–2023
Paraíba	Cássio Cunha Lima	PSDB	Campina Grande, PB	2011–2019
	José Maranhão	PMDB	Araruna, PB	2015–2023
	Raimundo Lira	PMDB	Cajazeiras, PB	2011–2019	Substitute of Vital do Rego Filho, appointed member of the Federal Court of Accounts (TCU), taking office in December 17, 2014.^[4]
Paraná	Álvaro Dias	PV	Quatá, SP	2015-2023	Elected as a member of PSDB, switched to PV in January 8, 2016.^[5]
	Gleisi Hoffmann	PT	Curitiba, PR	2011–2019
	Roberto Requião	PMDB	Curitiba, PR	2011–2019
Pernambuco	Fernando Bezerra Coelho	PSB	Petrolina, PE	2015–2023	Re-elected.
	Humberto Costa	PT	Campinas, SP	2011–2019
	Armando Monteiro	PTB	Recife, PE	2011–2019
Piauí	Ciro Nogueira	PP	Teresina, PI	2011–2019
	Elmano Férrer	PTB	Lavras da Mangabeira, CE	2015–2023
	Regina Sousa	PT	União, PI	2011–2019
Rio de Janeiro	Romário de Souza Faria	PSB	Rio de Janeiro, RJ	2015 - 2023
	Marcelo Crivella	PRB	Rio de Janeiro, RJ	2011–2019	Re-elected.
	Lindberg Farias	PT	João Pessoa, PB	2011–2019
Rio Grande do Norte	Paulo Davim	PV	Natal, RN	2011–2019	Substitute of Garibaldi Alves Filho, appointed as Minister of Social Security
	José Agripino	DEM	Mossoró, RN	2011–2019	Re-elected.
	Fátima Bezerra	PT	Nova Palmeira, PR	2015–2023
Rio Grande do Sul	Paulo Paim	PT	Caxias do Sul, RS	2011–2019	Re-elected.
	Lasier Martins	PDT	General Câmara, RS	2015–2023	Re-elected.
	Ana Amélia Lemos	PP	Lagoa Vermelha, RS	2011–2019
Rondônia	Acir Gurgacz	PDT	Cascavel, PR	2015–2023	Re-elected
	Ivo Cassol	PP	Concórdia, SC	2011–2019
	Valdir Raupp	PMDB	São João do Sul, SC	2011–2019	Re-elected.
Roraima	Angela Portela	PT	Coreaú, CE	2011–2019
	Telmário Mota	PDT	Normandia, RI	2007–2015
	Romero Jucá	PMDB	Recife, PE	2011–2019	Re-elected.
Santa Catarina	Dalírio Beber	PSDB	Massaranduba, SC	2011–2019	Substitute of Luiz Henrique da Silveira, deceased.
	Paulo Bauer	PSDB	Blumenau, SC	2011–2019
	Dário Berger	PMDB	Bom Retiro, SC	2015–2023
São Paulo	Aloysio Nunes	PSDB	São José do Rio Preto, SP	2011–2019
	José Serra	PSDB	São Paulo, SP	2015–2023
	Marta Suplicy	PMDB	São Paulo, SP	2011–2019	Elected as a member of PT, left the party in April 28, 2015.^[6] Joined PMDB in September 2015^[7]
Sergipe	Eduardo Amorim	PSC	Itabaiana, SE	2011–2019
	Antônio Carlos Valadares	PSB	Simão Dias, SE	2011–2019	Re-elected.
	Ricardo Barreto Franco	DEM	Aracaju, SE	2015–2023
Tocantins	Ataídes Oliveira	PSDB	Estrela do Norte, GO	2011–2019	Substitute of João Ribeiro, deceased on December 18, 2013.^[8] Originally a member of PROS, he switched to PSDB on December 11, 2014.^[9]
	Donizeti Nogueira	PT	Prata, MG	2015-2023	Substitute of Kátia Abreu, appointed as Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply.^[10]
	Vicentinho Alves	PR	Porto Nacional, TO	2011–2019

References

↑ "Senado Federal completa hoje 185 anos". R7 (in Portuguese). 6 May 2011. Retrieved 22 May 2012. O Senado Federal foi criado com a primeira Constituição do Império, outorgada em 1824, inspirado, primeiramente, na Câmara dos Lordes da Grã-Bretanha. Sua primeira reunião ocorreu em 6 de maio de 1826. .
↑ http://g1.globo.com/politica/noticia/2011/09/sergio-petecao-do-acre-e-primeiro-senador-se-filiar-ao-psd.html
↑ http://www1.folha.uol.com.br/poder/2015/09/1687557-apos-deixar-psol-senador-randolfe-rodrigues-anuncia-filiacao-a-rede.shtml
↑ http://www.pbagora.com.br/conteudo.php?id=20141216164302&cat=paraiba&keys=senador-vital-rego-deve-tomar-posse-tcu-nesta-raimundo-lira-assume-senado
↑ http://ultimosegundo.ig.com.br/politica/2016-01-08/alvaro-dias-deixa-o-psdb-e-vai-para-o-pv.html
↑ http://g1.globo.com/jornal-nacional/noticia/2015/04/senadora-marta-suplicy-deixa-o-pt-depois-de-33-anos-de-filiacao.html
↑ http://g1.globo.com/politica/noticia/2015/09/em-evento-em-sao-paulo-marta-suplicy-se-filia-ao-pmdb.html
↑ http://congressoemfoco.uol.com.br/noticias/morre-o-senador-joao-ribeiro-do-tocantins/
↑ http://g1.globo.com/to/tocantins/noticia/2014/12/senador-ataides-oliveira-troca-de-partido-para-ser-oposicao-ao-governo.html
↑ http://ultimosegundo.ig.com.br/politica/2014-11-21/katia-abreu-sera-a-nova-ministra-da-agricultura.html

External links

Official website of the Brazilian Senate
(Portuguese) Photos 360° of the Brazilian Senate
List of all Brazilian senators (1826–2011; in Portuguese)

Members of the Federal Senate of Brazil

President: Renan Calheiros

Acre

Gladson Cameli (PP)
Jorge Viana (PT)
Sérgio Petecão (PSD)

Alagoas

Amapá

Davi Alcolumbre (DEM)
João Capiberibe (PSB)
Randolfe Rodrigues (REDE)

Amazonas

Omar Aziz (PSD)
Sandra Braga (PMDB)
Vanessa Grazziotin (PCdoB)

Bahia

Lídice da Mata (PSB)
Otto Alencar (PSD)
Walter Pinheiro (No party)

Ceará

Distrito Federal

Cristovam Buarque (PPS)
Hélio José (PMDB)
José Reguffe (No party)

Espírito Santo

Rose de Freitas (PMDB)
Magno Malta (PR)
Ricardo Ferraço (PSDB)

Goiás

Ronaldo Caiado (DEM)
Lúcia Vânia (PSB)
Wilder Morais (PP)

Maranhão

Mato Grosso

Blairo Maggi (PR)
José Medeiros (PPS)
Wellington Fagundes (PR)

Mato Grosso do Sul

Delcídio do Amaral (No party)
Simone Tebet (PMDB)
Waldemir Moka (PMDB)

Minas Gerais

Pará

Flexa Ribeiro (PSDB)
Jader Barbalho (PMDB)
Paulo Rocha (PT)

Paraíba

Cássio Cunha Lima (PSDB)
José Maranhão (PMDB)
Raimundo Lira (PMDB)

Paraná

Álvaro Dias (PV)
Gleisi Hoffmann (PT)
Roberto Requião (PMDB)

Pernambuco

Douglas Cintra (PTB)
Humberto Costa (PT)
Fernando Bezerra Coelho (PSB)

Piauí

Ciro Nogueira (PP)
Elmano Férrer (PTB)
Regina Sousa (PT)

Rio de Janeiro

Rio Grande do Norte

Garibaldi Filho (PMDB)
José Agripino (DEM)
Fátima Bezerra (PT)

Rio Grande do Sul

Ana Amélia (PP)
Paulo Paim (PT)
Lasier Martins (PDT)

Rondônia

Acir Gurgacz (PDT)
Ivo Cassol (PP)
Valdir Raupp (PMDB)

Roraima

Ângela Portela (PT)
Telmário Mota (PDT)
Romero Jucá (PMDB)

Santa Catarina

Dalirio Beber (PSDB)
Dário Berger (PMDB)
Paulo Bauer (PSDB)

São Paulo

Aloysio Nunes (PSDB)
José Serra (PSDB)
Marta Suplicy (PMDB)

Sergipe

Antônio Carlos Valadares (PSB)
Eduardo Amorim (PSC)
Ricardo Franco (DEM)

Tocantins

Ataídes Oliveira (PSDB)
Donizeti Nogueira (PT)
Vicentinho Alves (PR)

PMDB (18) • PT (11) • PSDB (11) • PSB (7) • PDT (3) • PP (4) • DEM (4) • PSD (4) • PR (4) • PTB (4) • PCdoB (1) • PRB (1) • PSC (1) • PPS (1) • REDE (1) • No party (3) • PV (1) • PTC (1)

List of Legislatures of the General Assembly and National Congress

General Assembly Empire	1st (1826-1829) 2nd (1830-1833) 3rd (1834-1837) 4th (1838-1841) 5th (1842-1844) 6th (1845-1847) 7th (1848-1848) 8th (1849-1852) 9th (1853-1856) 10th (1857-1860) 11th (1861-1863) 12th (1864-1866) 13th (1867-1868) 14th (1869-1872) 15th (1872-1875) 16th (1876-1877) 17th (1878-1881) 18th (1882-1884) 19th (1885-1885) 20th (1886-1889)

National Congress Republic	21st (1890-1891) 22nd (1891-1893) 23rd (1894-1896) 24st (1897-1899) 25th (1900-1902) 26th (1903-1905) 27th (1906-1908) 28th (1909-1911) 29th (1912-1914) 30th (1915-1917) 31st (1918-1920) 32nd (1921-1923) 33rd (1924-1926) 34th (1927-1929) 35th (1930-1930) 36th (1933-1935) 37th (1935-1937) 38th (1946-1950) 39th (1951-1954) 40th (1955-1958) 41st (1959-1962) 42nd (1963-1967) 43rd (1967-1970) 44th (1971-1975) 45th (1975-1979) 46th (1979-1983) 47th (1983-1987) 48th (1987-1991) 49th (1991-1995) 50th (1995-1999) 51st (1999-2003) 52nd (2003-2007) 53rd (2007-2011) 54th (2011-2015) 55th (2015-2019)

Legislatures of Brazil

National Congress	Chamber of Deputies Federal Senate

State legislatures	Acre Alagoas Amapá Amazonas Bahia Ceará Distrito Federal Espírito Santo Goiás Maranhão Mato Grosso Mato Grosso do Sul Minas Gerais Pará Paraíba Paraná Pernambuco Piauí Rio de Janeiro Rio Grande do Norte Rio Grande do Sul Rondônia Roraima Santa Catarina São Paulo Sergipe Tocantins

Municipally legislatures (list)	Acre Alagoas Amapá Amazonas Bahia Ceará Distrito Federal Espírito Santo Goiás Maranhão Mato Grosso Mato Grosso do Sul Minas Gerais Pará Paraíba Paraná Pernambuco Piauí Rio de Janeiro Rio Grande do Norte Rio Grande do Sul Rondônia Roraima Santa Catarina São Paulo Sergipe Tocantins

Upper houses of national legislatures

Federal	Argentina Australia Austria Belgium Bosnia and Herzegovina Brazil Canada Ethiopia Germany India Malaysia Mexico Nigeria Pakistan Russia South Sudan Sudan Switzerland United States

Unitary	Afghanistan Algeria Antigua and Barbuda Bahamas Bahrain Barbados Belarus Belize Bhutan Bolivia Burundi Cambodia Cameroon Chile Colombia Democratic Republic of the Congo Republic of the Congo Czech Republic Dominican Republic Equatorial Guinea France Gabon Grenada Haiti Indonesia Ireland Italy Jamaica Japan Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Lesotho Liberia Madagascar Mauritania Morocco Myanmar Namibia Netherlands Oman Palau Paraguay Philippines Poland Romania Rwanda Saint Lucia Slovenia Somalia South Africa Spain Swaziland Tajikistan Trinidad and Tobago United Kingdom Uruguay Uzbekistan Zimbabwe

Dependent and other territories	American Samoa Bermuda Isle of Man Northern Mariana Islands Puerto Rico

Non-UN states	Somaliland

Related	Bicameralism Unicameralism List of abolished upper houses List of legislatures by country

National lower houses National bicameral legislatures National unicameral legislatures

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