Brazil's Congress rejects corruption case against President Temer
Michel Temer
BRASILIA (Reuters) - Brazilian lawmakers rejected corruption charges against  President Michel Temer  on Wednesday evening  shelving a case that had threatened to oust a center-right leader who investors hope will bring Brazil’s budget deficit under control.
 Brazil's President Michel Temer  leaves a hospital in Brasilia  Brazil October 25  2017. REUTERS/Ueslei Marcelino
The corruption case  involving the payment of bribes by meatpacker JBS SA (JBSS3.SA)  had paralyzed  Temer ’s reform agenda for six months and weakened his government.
The vote means that  Temer  is safe from prosecution while  he  remains president. But  he  is still subject to investigation and possible trial by lower courts after  his  term ends in late 2018.
While  Temer ’s opponents were far from the 342 votes - or two-thirds of the seats - needed to put  him  on trial   he  got 12 votes less than in August when the lower house voted 263-227 to block an initial corruption charge against  him .
The slip in support signals  Temer  will have trouble passing a pension reform bill that is crucial for plugging Brazil’s budget deficit. Many lawmakers are reluctant to back the reform  which would make Brazilians work more years before retirement.
The speaker of the house  Rodrigo Maia  said the shelving of the charges against  Temer  cleared the way for the government and Congress to move ahead with the pension reform debate.
Members of Brazil's Homeless Workers' Movement (MTST) shout slogans holding a placard reading "Out Temer" during a vote on whether the Congress allows charges against President Michel Temer to be sent to the Supreme Court for trial  in Sao Paulo  Brazil October 25  2017. REUTERS/Nacho Doce
Allies said Brazil could not afford the upheaval of removing a second president in little over a year  as Latin America’s largest economy struggles to overcome deep recession.  Temer  succeeded impeached leftist President Dilma Rousseff in 2016.
Opponents criticized  Temer  for making policy concessions and fast-tracking pork barrel spending to win votes to ensure his survival.
To please the powerful farm lobby that has two-fifths of the votes in the lower house   Temer  agreed to lower fines for environmental damage.  He  attempted to relax a definition of slave labor  but was forced to backtrack after an outcry.
A few hours before the vote   Temer  was taken to hospital in pain due to a urinary tract obstruction  a health scare that triggered a brief selloff in financial markets.
 His  office said  he  underwent a bladder test by catheter and left the hospital later on Wednesday.  Temer  77   was recently diagnosed with a partial coronary artery blockage.
Earlier  it touched session lows on the news that  Temer  was in the hospital. Stocks later pared losses and the currency was flat after his office gave details of his condition.
BRASILIA (Reuters) - Brazilian lawmakers rejected corruption charges against [TGT]on Wednesday evening  shelving a case that had threatened to oust a center-right leader who investors hope will bring Brazil’s budget deficit under control.
 [TGT]leaves a hospital in Brasilia  Brazil October 25  2017. REUTERS/Ueslei Marcelino
The corruption case  involving the payment of bribes by meatpacker JBS SA (JBSS3.SA)  had paralyzed  [TGT] ’s reform agenda for six months and weakened his government.
The vote means that  [TGT]is safe from prosecution while  [TGT]  remains president. But  [TGT]  is still subject to investigation and possible trial by lower courts after  [TGT]  term ends in late 2018.
While  [TGT] ’s opponents were far from the 342 votes - or two-thirds of the seats - needed to put  him  on trial   he  got 12 votes less than in August when the lower house voted 263-227 to block an initial corruption charge against  him .
The slip in support signals  [TGT]will have trouble passing a pension reform bill that is crucial for plugging Brazil’s budget deficit. Many lawmakers are reluctant to back the reform  which would make Brazilians work more years before retirement.
The speaker of the house  Rodrigo Maia  said the shelving of the charges against  [TGT]cleared the way for the government and Congress to move ahead with the pension reform debate.
Members of Brazil's Homeless Workers' Movement (MTST) shout slogans holding a placard reading "Out Temer" during a vote on whether the Congress allows charges against [TGT] to be sent to the Supreme Court for trial  in Sao Paulo  Brazil October 25  2017. REUTERS/Nacho Doce
Allies said Brazil could not afford the upheaval of removing a second president in little over a year  as Latin America’s largest economy struggles to overcome deep recession.  [TGT]succeeded impeached leftist President Dilma Rousseff in 2016.
Opponents criticized  Temer  for making policy concessions and fast-tracking pork barrel spending to win votes to ensure his survival.
To please the powerful farm lobby that has two-fifths of the votes in the lower house   [TGT]agreed to lower fines for environmental damage.  [TGT]  attempted to relax a definition of slave labor  but was forced to backtrack after an outcry.
A few hours before the vote   [TGT]was taken to hospital in pain due to a urinary tract obstruction  a health scare that triggered a brief selloff in financial markets.
 [TGT]  office said  [TGT]  underwent a bladder test by catheter and left the hospital later on Wednesday.  [TGT]77   was recently diagnosed with a partial coronary artery blockage.
Earlier  it touched session lows on the news that  [TGT]was in the hospital. Stocks later pared losses and the currency was flat after his office gave details of his condition.