He was the founder of the Jornal do Norte (1921), editor of the O Correio de Bezerros in the city of Bezerros, Pernambuco (1923), and director of the newspaper A Noite (1925), writing in the latter, articles in which he asked soldiers, corporals and young officers to refuse to fight the so-called "Coluna Prestes", which resulted in his conviction to three months in prison.

He founded, along with Ademar de Barros, the Progressive Republican Party (PRP), for which he was elected federal deputy again (1946–1950).

After taking over as president, Café Filho appointed to his new cabinet minister of finance the economist Eugenio Gudin, supporter of a more orthodox economic policy, who sought to stabilize the economy and combat inflation.

Notable in his administration was the creation of the Committee on Location of the New Federal Capital, and the inauguration, in January 1955, of the Paulo Afonso hydroelectric plant.

Recovered, Café Filho tried to reassume presidential powers, but, as part of the 1955 Brazilian coup d'état, his removal was approved by the Congress on 22 November 1955 and confirmed by the Supreme Court in December.