Chilean Chamber Approves 2026 Budget Law with 14 Items Rejected

Original article: Cámara despachó Ley de Presupuesto 2026 con 14 partidas rechazadas

With 14 items rejected and 19 approved, the Chamber of Deputies has sent the 2026 Budget Law (bill 17870) to the Senate, where it will undergo its second legislative review (out of three).

According to the Chamber’s bulletin, the Government has adopted suggestions from parliamentarians, along with a general reduction in funding for critical functions.

As a result, today resources for Housing, Transport, Social Development, Women, Culture, Science, and the Public Ministry were reinstated, as well as the budget approval for the Electoral Service.

Additionally, in Monday’s session, the budget allocations for the National Congress, Judicial Power, the Comptroller’s Office, Economy, Finance, Justice, National Defense, Public Works, Agriculture, National Assets, and Labor were approved.

On the contrary, budget restorations for the ministries of General Secretary of Government (Segegob), General Secretary of the Presidency (Segpres), Energy, Environment, Sports, and Public Safety were rejected, along with funds for regional governments and the Public Treasury.

These rejections add to those for the Presidency, Interior, Foreign Relations, Education, Health, and Mining.

Reactions

Following the dispatch of the Law to the Senate, Deputy Daniela Serrano (PC) warned that «the right wing of Kast is finally revealing through their budget votes where they will make fiscal cuts: rejecting the Migration Service, Drug Prevention and Rehabilitation, free education, Junji, public education, and Zero Copayment.»

«This is the future with Kast,» added the deputy, whose comments were supported by Senator Claudia Pascual (PC), who noted that the far-right «believes it already has the government.»

«We must put a stop to the far-right in the 2026 Budget Law, which already thinks it has the government, and has rejected funding for JUNJI, drug consumption prevention, Zero Copayment in public health, and free higher education, among other things. This will result in a $6 billion cut,» the senator pointed out.

Deputy Emilia Schneider (FA) stated that «in the budget vote, the far-right has rejected allocations for the Ministry of Women, Environment, and Culture. This reveals their true colors: they deny science and climate change, women’s rights, and access to culture. We do not want that for Chile.»

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