Argentine President Javier Milei on 4 August signed decrees vetoing three social-welfare bills approved by Congress in July, blocking a pension increase, the reinstatement of a retirement moratorium and a declaration of emergency for people with disabilities. The measures had cleared the Senate on 10 July but never reached the statute books. The rejected package would have raised monthly pensions 7.2%, lifted a bonus payment from 70,000 to 110,000 pesos, reopened for two years a moratorium that lets informal workers retire and granted new non-contributory benefits to disabled Argentines. The presidential office said the initiatives would add more than 7 trillion pesos to this year’s budget—about 0.9% of GDP—and 17 trillion pesos, or 1.68% of GDP, in 2026. Milei defended the decision with the refrain “no hay plata,” arguing the bills lacked funding sources and threatened fiscal balance. Opposition lawmakers are preparing an attempt to overturn the vetoes, a step that requires a two-thirds majority in both chambers. The confrontation will test Milei’s ability to preserve his austerity agenda ahead of October’s mid-term elections, which serve as the first nationwide verdict on a program that has curbed triple-digit inflation but intensified social strains.