Argentine National Congress

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Argentine National Congress
Congreso de la Nación
Type
Type Bicameral
Houses Argentine Senate
Argentine Chamber of Deputies
Leadership
President of the Senate Julio Cobos, (Front for Victory)
since December 10, 2007
President of the Chamber Eduardo Fellner,
Justicialist Party
(Front for Victory)
since December 10, 2007
Structure
Members 72 Senators
256 Deputies
Election
Senate Last election 28 October 2007
Chamber of Deputies Last election 28 October 2007
Meeting place
Web site
Congreso de la Nación (Spanish)

The Congress of the Argentine Nation (Spanish: Congreso de la Nación Argentina) is the legislative branch of the government of Argentina.

Situated at the end of Avenida de Mayo, at the other end of which is located the Casa Rosada, Argentina's parliament is bicameral and is made up of the 72-seat Argentine Senate and the 256-seat Argentine Chamber of Deputies.

Designed by the Italian architect Vittorio Meano and completed by Argentine architect Julio Dormal, the building was under construction between 1898 and 1906. Inaugurated that year, its aesthetic details were not completed until 1946. Local sculptor Lola Mora graced the interior halls and exterior alike with numerous allegorical bronzes. As time went by, the building proved too small for its purpose, and in 1974 the construction of the Annex, which now holds the Deputies' offices, was started (image, below).

Congressional Plaza was created facing the building by French Argentine urbanist Charles Thays and inaugurated in 1910. Popular among tourists, the plaza is also a preferred location for protestors and those who want to voice their opinion about Congress' activities.

The Hall of Lost Steps, a historical witness to past Congressional negotiations.
Congress reflected in the Chamber of Deputies office building.
Rear view of Congress. The Chamber of Deputies is at right.
Sculptures by Lola Mora guard a lateral entry.

The building from 1976 to 1983 housed the CAL (Legislative Advisory Commission), which was a group of officers from the three Armed Forces. Commissioned to review and discuss laws before they were issued by the Executive Branch, they served a succession of de facto military presidents during the infamous National Reorganization Process. In practice, this became a mechanism to detect and discuss the differences between the three commanders-in-chief of the Army, Navy, and Air Force regarding a specific project. The CAL was established by the Acta del Proceso de Reorganización Nacional (National Reorganization Process Act), the guiding document for the military government established after the coup d'état of March 24, 1976.

Following a 1994 reform of the Argentine Constitution, the Argentine Senate was expanded from 48 members (two per province or district) to 72 members, whereby the party garnering second place in elections for Senator would be assured the third seat for the corresponding province.

Argentina

This article is part of the series:
Politics and government of
Argentina



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Coordinates: 34°36′34.75″S 58°23′33.29″W / 34.6096528°S 58.3925806°W / -34.6096528; -58.3925806

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