With votes across opposition parties, Argentina’s Senate passed on Thursday bills increasing retirement pensions, the return of a pension moratorium, and the declaration of a situation of emergency for disabled people.

During the session, President Javier Milei said he would veto all three laws to not jeopardize the country’s fiscal surplus. 

“They are desperate. Because they know that in October La Libertad will sweep [in the mid-term elections],” he said in a speech in the celebration of the 171st anniversary of the Buenos Aires Stock Exchange.

Milei also said that if Congress revoked his veto, he would take it to court.

Without naming her, Milei accused the Senate’s head, Vice President Victoria Villarruel, of being a “traitor” after she validated the session. Villarruel and the rest of the government have been at odds for the better part of the administration.

As soon as the quorum was gathered, the session was formally validated. In an X post, Security Minister Patricia Bullrich called it an “institutional coup,” as it was convened by the opposition and, according to the government’s interpretation, it would require two-thirds of the chamber. The Milei administration also said that the bills could not be voted on as Congress did not issue a previous opinion on them. The opposition argued that only half plus one of the senators would be enough to open the session.

Bullrich accused Villarruel of being an “accomplice of destructive Kirchnerism” by validating the session.

Villarruel, in turn, accused Bullrich of having been part of “terrorist organizations” in the 70s and said that her role was to preside over the sessions “whether I like them or not.”

The bills had the support of the Peronist coalition Unión por la Patria and part of the UCR centrist party. La Libertad Avanza senators and most of PRO lawmakers chose not to participate in the session.

The bill increasing retirement pensions updates them by 7.2% and takes the minimum bonus from AR$70,000 to AR$110,000. It had 42 positive votes, 17 against, and three abstentions. The initiative postponing the pension moratorium had 39 votes in favor, 14 against, and one abstention.

The bill increasing funds for disabled people was passed with 55 votes in favor and none against. 17 senators were absent. The bill declares an emergency on the situation of disabled people until December 2027, guaranteeing budget allocations to increase payment to service providers and settle the debts for nurses, companions, and transporters.