Today, the Albanese Labor Government took the next major step towards implementation of our landmark trade agreement with the United Arab Emirates.
The passing of necessary legislation today will incorporate the Australia-United Arab Emirates Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) into law.
Marking Australia’s first trade agreement in the Middle East region, this deal delivers on the Albanese Government’s commitment to open new export opportunities and create more well-paying local jobs through trade.
The UAE is Australia’s largest trade and investment partner in the Middle East with total trade between Australia and the UAE worth $12.3 billion in 2024.
When fully implemented, over 99 per cent of Australian products will enter the UAE tariff free, including meat, dairy, grains and minerals. The agreement will also deliver cheaper prices at the checkout, with Australian households and businesses saving around $40 million a year.
Details on the full CEPA package, including independent modelling and key benefits to agricultural businesses and Australia more broadly are published on the DFAT website.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Trade and Tourism, Senator the Hon Don Farrell:
“We are a trading nation. More trade means more higher-paying jobs, more opportunities for businesses, greater investment and cheaper bills for Australian households.”
“As Australia’s first trade agreement in the Middle East, this unlocks significant potential in the region.”
“Passing this legislation is an important step in locking in the gains we’ve made which will deliver for Australian businesses, local jobs and Australian consumers.”
“We will continue working closely with the UAE to bring it into force as soon as possible.”
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
The casualty toll continues to mount among aid-seeking Palestinians and even some relief providers in Gaza despite the Israeli military tactical pause, UN humanitarians said Wednesday.
“We are still seeing casualties among those seeking aid and more deaths due to hunger and malnutrition,” said the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). “UN partners report high workloads, burnout and exhaustion, due mainly to the lack of food, among front-line workers.”
The office said caseworkers in mental health and psycho-social support facilities are similarly affected.
OCHA said that although the conditions for delivering aid and supplies are far from sufficient, the UN and its partners are taking advantage of any opportunity to support people in need during the tactical pause.
The office cited the challenges it faces at the fenced-off Kerem Shalom/Karem Abu Salem crossing as an example.
“For our drivers to access it, Israeli authorities must approve the mission, provide a safe route through which to travel, provide multiple ‘green lights’ on movement, as well as a pause in bombing, and, ultimately, open the iron gates to allow us to enter,” OCHA said.
The office said the world body was allowed to bring into Gaza limited quantities of fuel through the Kerem Shalom/Karem Abu Salem and Zikim crossings. Almost half of the fuel was transferred to northern Gaza to support vital health, emergency, water and telecommunications needs.
However, it said the fuel allowed into Gaza is insufficient to meet life-saving critical needs.
A permanent ceasefire is needed more than ever. Unilateral tactical pauses alone do not allow for the continuous flow of supplies required to meet immense needs levels in Gaza, said OCHA.
The office said the United Nations and partners continue to coordinate humanitarian movements inside Gaza with the Israeli authorities.
“Yesterday, three facilitated missions allowed our staff to collect cargo containing food from the Kerem Shalom and Zikim crossings and allowed for fuel to be transferred within Gaza,” OCHA said. “However, the others faced impediments, particularly delays in receiving the green light to move by the Israeli authorities, and one had to be canceled.”
The office said that to scale up the delivery of aid in a manner that begins to meet people’s tremendous needs, all crossings must open, a broad range of supplies, both humanitarian and commercial, be allowed to enter, aid movements inside Gaza be safeguarded and facilitated promptly, and relief workers be allowed to do their job.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
This photo taken on May 10, 2025 shows cargo ships loaded with containers at the Port of Los Angeles in California, United States. [Photo/Xinhua]
U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed an executive order suspending duty-free de minimis treatment for low-value shipments.
Effective on Aug. 29, imported goods sent through means other than the international postal network that are valued at or under 800 U.S. dollars and that would otherwise qualify for the de minimis exemption will be subject to all applicable duties.
For goods shipped through the international postal system, packages will instead be subject to a duty equal to the effective tariff rate applicable to the country of origin, or a duty ranging from 80 to 200 dollars per item.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
The high-level international conference for the peaceful settlement of the question of Palestine and the implementation of the two-state solution concluded its general debate on Wednesday.
An outcome document was circulated to delegations for consideration, and the conference, co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia, will reconvene at a later date to take action on the text of the document.
“States have until the beginning of September to endorse the document if they so wish,” said the representative of Saudi Arabia as he suspended the session.
The three-day conference, mandated by the UN General Assembly in December 2024, was originally scheduled for June but was postponed following the outbreak of the conflict between Iran and Israel.
Several countries have announced their intention to recognize the State of Palestine, including Britain and Singapore.
The representative of Malta said at the conference on Wednesday that his country could formally recognize the State of Palestine at the upcoming UN General Assembly session in September, describing the decision as “a concrete step towards the realization of a just and lasting peace.”
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
China’s local governments issued new bonds worth over 2.6 trillion yuan (about 365.71 billion U.S. dollars) in the first six months of this year, data from the Ministry of Finance showed on Wednesday.
Of the total, general-purpose bond issuance came in at 452 billion yuan for the period and special-purpose bond issuance amounted to over 2.1 trillion yuan.
From January to June, local government bonds were issued with an average term of 15.9 years and at an average interest rate of 1.92 percent.
By the end of last month, China’s outstanding local government debts stood at approximately 51.95 trillion yuan, the ministry said.
China has pledged a more proactive fiscal policy this year to shore up sustained economic and social development.
The country plans to issue 4.4 trillion yuan of local government special-purpose bonds in 2025, marking an increase of 500 billion yuan from last year, according to this year’s government work report.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
An aerial drone photo taken on Aug. 28, 2024 shows an interior view of the digital factory at a manufacturing enterprise in Yinchuan, northwest China’s Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. [Photo/Xinhua]
The purchasing managers’ index (PMI) for China’s manufacturing sector stood at 49.3 in July, down 0.4 percentage points from the previous month, official data showed Thursday.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
​An owner was convicted and fined $66,830 in total, of which $46,830 was the fine for the number of days that the offence continued at the Kowloon City Magistrates’ Courts yesterday (July 30) for failing to comply with a removal order issued under the Buildings Ordinance (BO) (Cap 123).
The case involved unauthorised building works (UBWs) in a unit of a residential building at Tai Kok Tsui Road, including the erection of a structure of about 90 square metres on the flat roof, and the installation of three metal gates obstructing the means of escape. As the UBWs were carried out without prior approval and consent from the Buildings Department (BD), a removal order was served on the owner under section 24(1) of the BO. Failure to comply with the removal order, the owner was prosecuted by the BD.
A spokesman for the BD said today (July 31), “Unauthorised building works may lead to serious consequences. Owners must comply with removal orders without delay. The BD will continue to take enforcement action against owners who fail to comply with removal orders, including instigation of prosecution, to ensure building and public safety.”
Failure to comply with a removal order without reasonable excuse is a serious offence under the BO. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $200,000 and one year’s imprisonment, and a further fine of $20,000 for each day that the offence continues.
The Government prioritises efforts to combat work-related crime, which in its most serious forms can involve human trafficking and human exploitation and is often a source of income for the criminal economy. Several regional centres for preventing work-related crime have opened in Sweden in late 2023. Minister for Gender Equality and Working Life and Deputy Minister for Employment Paulina Brandberg attended the opening of the Stockholm centre in mid-November.
Opinion piece by Romina Pourmokhtari, Minister for Climate and the Environment in Sweden, Christophe Béchu, Minister for Ecological Transition and Cohesion of the Territories in France and Magnus Heunicke, Minister for the Environment in Denmark, published in Dagens industri, March 25 2024.
Inflation has decreased considerably and is expected to continue to do so, while unemployment is expected to rise. Subdued growth, combined with the weak labour market outlook, means that the Swedish economy is expected to remain in recession until 2025. These are the conclusions of the Ministry of Finance in a new economic forecast.
Combatting antisemitism is a high priority for the Government. The budget presented on 20 September includes several initiatives to enhance and shore up these continued efforts. This includes funding to the Jewish Museum, the Living History Forum and the Official Council of Swedish Jewish Communities, and state aid for security-heightening measures.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has announced a new global Commission on Social Connection. The aim of the Commission is to spotlight the public health problem of loneliness and involuntary isolation and make it a priority. Minister for Social Affairs and Public Health Jakob Forssmed has been included among the twelve Commissioners – the only one from Europe.
Minister for Migration Maria Malmer Stenergard received an inquiry report today entitled ‘New regulations on labour immigration, etc.’ The report contains a number of proposals that aim to make conditions for low-skilled labour immigration more stringent while promoting highly skilled labour immigration.
Johannesburg, South Africa – on July 22, 2025, The New Development Bank (NDB) and the South African National Roads Agency Soc Limited (SANRAL) have today signed a landmark loan agreement worth ZAR7 billion to finance the rehabilitation and expansion of key national road segments. This strategic partnership reflects a shared commitment to modernizing South Africa’s transport infrastructure, reducing logistics costs, and boosting economic growth.
The loan agreement will fund critical upgrades including the widening of highways, rehabilitation of bridges, and improvement of intersections along major freight corridors. These infrastructure enhancements are expected to significantly reduce travel times, improve road safety, and facilitate smoother movement of goods and people across the country.
To optimise financial efficiency, the loan is denominated in South African Rand (ZAR), which helps reduce debt financing charges by mitigating currency risk and aligning repayment obligations with local revenue streams.
South Africa’s transport sector plays a vital role in the national economy, and efficient road networks are essential for supporting trade, tourism, and job creation. By investing in the modernization of its road infrastructure, SANRAL aims to lower transportation costs for the majority of road users in South Africa, enhance connectivity between urban and rural areas, and stimulate inclusive economic development.
This financing aligns with the New Development Bank’s mission to support sustainable infrastructure projects that foster regional integration and economic resilience. As Mr. Monale Ratsoma, Chief Financial Officer, explained, “This loan agreement with SANRAL demonstrates the New Development Bank’s commitment to partnering with South Africa in building resilient and efficient infrastructure that drives economic transformation. We are proud to support projects that will improve the quality of life for millions of South Africans.”
From SANRAL’s perspective, Reginald Demana, Chief Executive Officer, emphasised, “The investment from the New Development Bank is a vital step towards upgrading our national road network. It will enable us to deliver safer, more reliable roads that underpin economic growth and social development.
The signing ceremony took place in Johannesburg at NDB’s Africa Regional Office and was attended by senior officials from both organisations, highlighting the strong cooperation between the New Development Bank and South African government agencies. Background Information
New Development Bank
NDB was established by Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa to mobilize resources for infrastructure and sustainable development projects in BRICS and other emerging market economies and developing countries, complementing the existing efforts of multilateral and regional financial institutions for global growth and development.
For more information on NDB, please visit www.ndb.int
South African National Roads Agency LTD
The South African National Roads Agency (SANRAL) is an independent, statutory company. South Africa’s Ministry of Transport is the sole shareholder and owner of SANRAL. Its mandate focuses on building and maintaining roads to enhance connectivity and development in South Africa.
Source: United States Senator for Vermont – Bernie Sanders
WASHINGTON, July 30 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) today released the following statement after forcing a vote on the floor of the United States Senate to block the sale of arms to Israel:
By a vote of 27-17, the members of the Senate Democratic caucus voted to stop sending arms shipments to a Netanyahu government which has waged a horrific, immoral, and illegal war against the Palestinian people.
The tide is turning. The American people do not want to spend billions to starve children in Gaza.
The Democrats are moving forward on this issue, and I look forward to Republican support in the near future.
The popular Great Walk in the Abel Tasman National Park had been temporarily closed from Mārahau to Anchorage due to the damage.
DOC Motueka Operations Manager Chris Golding says staff have been out on the track since the heavy rain on Tuesday 29 July and it’s come through without any significant new damage.
“There are several areas with minor damage, which are all passable with care. Please make safe decisions for your ability level and if you have any doubts, don’t go ahead. We’ll get these tidied up in the coming weeks when we can,” says Chris.
“Some planned maintenance is happening between Bark Bay and Onetahuti for another month or so. There will be machines operating so please follow all instructions from the staff and contractors.”
Chris says access to the Kahurangi National Park from the Tasman District is still severely limited by road closures.
“We’re working out repair options for Graham Valley Rd, which is the gateway Flora Car Park and some of the region’s most popular alpine walks. Over the Takaka Hill, the Cobb Valley is also closed due to several slips,” Chris says.
“There’s no timeframe for when these will reopen, please check the DOC and Tasman District Council websites for the latest.
“The Wangapeka River Rd is open, but a four-wheel-drive is required as there has been some storm damage.”
The Top of the South has had several storms in the last month and anyone going into the outdoors should be prepared to potentially come across track damage. Make safe decisions and report issues to 0800 DOC HOT (0800 362 468).
The DOC website will be kept up to date as things change. Anyone planning to head out should check for the latest before their trip.
How many people work at the Government Offices? What was the central government budget like last year? How many acts and ordinances were issued last year? The answer to these and other questions can be found in the Swedish Government Offices Yearbook 2022.
Minister for Climate and the Environment Romina Pourmokhtari is attending the sixth session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-6) in Nairobi on 27–29 February. Items on Ms Pourmokhtari’s agenda include climate change, plastic pollution, circular economy and threats to biodiversity.
On 16 October, Minister for Gender Equality Working Life and Deputy Minister for Employment Paulina Brandberg, Minister for Culture Parisa Liljestrand and Minister for Social Affairs and Public Health Jakob Forssmed met with representatives of Jewish civil society. The meeting focused on how events in Israel are affecting Jews in Sweden, current challenges and future efforts to combat antisemitism and support Jewish life.
Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services
Our CBR is the ACT Government’s key channel to connect with Canberrans and keep you up-to-date with what’s happening in the city. Our CBR includes a monthly print edition, email newsletter and website.
You can easily opt in or out of the newsletter subscription at any time.
Research and innovation promote progress in the energy sector. Minister for Education Mats Persson today signed an implementation agreement for energy research cooperation with the United States. The agreement was signed in the Reactor Hall at KTH Royal Institute of Technology, where research reactor R1 – Sweden’s first nuclear reactor – contributed to research between 1954 and 1970.
On 26 October, the Government submitted its thematic report to the Council of Europe on how Sweden is implementing the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (Istanbul Convention). Civil society organisations can submit shadow reports on their view of Sweden’s implementation of the Convention.
The Government’s Budget Bill for 2024 proposes initiatives to combat and prevent honour-based violence and oppression, and racism and discrimination. The Government also intends to take measures to combat wage guarantee abuse. The proposals are based on an agreement between the Government and the Sweden Democrats. On 20 September, the Government presented the Budget Bill for 2024 to the Riksdag.
At COP28 in Dubai, Sweden joined a number of international initiatives to speed up the climate transition in various ways. These include a declaration to triple global capacity of nuclear energy, and initiatives for carbon pricing and climate transition in industry.
Minister for Health Care Acko Ankarberg Johansson took part in the 78th Session of the UN General Assembly in New York. Among her various activities during the meeting, Ms Ankarberg Johansson took part in a panel discussion on rare diseases, sponsored by Sweden and Spain together with the organisation Rare Diseases International.
WASHINGTON, D.C.– On July 30, 2025, U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez (NM-02)visited the Otero County Processing Center to carry out his oversight duties as a Member of Congress and get critical insight into how ICE is treating detainees using taxpayer funds.
During the visit, the Congressman met with ICE representatives and private contractor staff, was given a tour of the facility, and underscored the urgent need for consistent, independent oversight to ensure taxpayer-funded detention centers uphold basic standards of care and human dignity.
Despite his lawful right to congressional oversight and prior submission of privacy forms, the Congressman was not permitted to speak with detained individuals — a restriction which facility staff stated was due to “changing policies.”
“I am all for measures that keep our borders and communities secure, but after my visit to the Otero Processing Center, it is only more clear that ICE is not making our communities safer,” said Vasquez. “Today, we learned that over 80% of the individuals detained in this facility have no criminal charges or convictions — meaning the administration is not just targeting violent individuals, it’s filling detention centers with workers, parents, and our community members. ICE’s complete disregard for the need for transparent legal processes and accountability around the spending of taxpayer money is unacceptable.”
During the Congressman’s visit, he encountered:
ICE representatives who were unwilling and unable to give him clear and straightforward answers to questions regarding their treatment of their detainees
Phones—which detained individuals rely on to speak with legal counsel and loved ones—were broken
Toilets would not flush
Accounts of the facility’s history of an understaffed medical team
Vasquez continues to champion legislation like his Humane Accountability Act, which would increase transparency around ICE detention and strengthen reporting standards for how individuals are treated in federal detention centers.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman August Pfluger (TX-11)
CTI Chairman Pfluger Congratulates Rep. Garbarino as New Chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security
Washington, July 22, 2025
WASHINGTON, DC — Congressman August Pfluger (TX-11), Chairman of the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence, released the following statement after the House Republican Conference selected Rep. Andrew Garbarino (R-NY) to serve as the next Chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security:
“Congratulations to my colleague, Andrew Garbarino, on his selection as the next Chairman of the U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security. His appointment reflects a strong commitment to securing our borders, strengthening cybersecurity, and protecting our critical infrastructure. Under President Trump’s leadership, we have made historic strides in national security, and I am confident that Chairman Garbarino will continue that momentum to meet today’s evolving threats. As Chairman of the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Counterterrorism, I look forward to working alongside him in our shared mission to safeguard the American people and defend the Homeland.”
The idea of the titular Crow in Ted Hughes’ poems is wild, untameable and irreducible to words. In an early poem in the sequence, words come at Crow from all angles but he just ignores them. Finally, “Words retreated, suddenly afraid / Into the skull of a dead jester / Taking the whole world with them”.
Crow just yawns: “long ago / He had picked that skull empty”. A figure that is ancient and beyond the reach of gods or human belief systems, Hughes’ Crow resists ever being pinned down or fully understood.
In Max Porter’s 2015 novella, Grief is the Thing with Feathers, a version of Hughes’ Crow enters the life of a bereaved Dad, newly left to look after his two sons after the death of his wife.
Dad is a literary scholar, writing a book about Ted Hughes, and Crow is a metaphor come to life, some version of the endless grief through which he is living.
But Porter’s Crow is not quite the same thing as Hughes’ irredeemable half-myth/half-beast. This crow cares: “I do eat baby rabbits, plunder nests, swallow filth, cheat death […] But I care, deeply. I find humans dull except in grief”. And he is self-aware, too – aware that Hughes’ mythical beast image can also just be a performance, a piece of schtick: “I do this, perform some unbound crow stuff, for him”.
Now, a new adaptation of the novella brings the story to the Belvoir stage.
Devastation and renewal
Toby Schmitz as both Dad and Crow is just brilliant. He exactly captures the messy contradictions of this situation, shifting between the quiet melancholy and stifled rage of the widower and the restless, contradictory energies of Crow.
The latter he performs in recognisable Schmitz fashion: a leery and mischievous outsider, challenging the audience and holding their attention just as much as he teases, taunts and cajoles both Dad and his two sons.
His performance brings out the humour of Porter’s book, the sense of its own absurdity that shadows his story of devastation and tentative renewal.
Toby Schmitz as both Dad and Crow is just brilliant. Brett Boardman/Belvoir
Also on stage are Philip Lynch and Fraser Morrison as the two boys, doing a great job (as the characters do in Porter’s book) of providing an emotional antidote to the wheeling terror that sometimes spins off Dad’s encounter with Crow.
Schmitz adapted the book with director, Simon Phillips, and designer, Nick Schlieper. They have only very subtly altered the text in ways that enable a dynamic live performance, conversations between Dad, Crow and Boys.
Tying the piece together are compelling video direction and live music. The former is genuinely exciting, as it etches the presence of Crow’s mythology across the stage, aided by Craig Wilkinson’s work as illustrator, clearly taking inspiration from Hughes’ original illustrator, Leonard Baskin. Composer and cellist, Freya Schack-Arnott provides a stunning and emotional soundtrack throughout, at times improvising to the action.
An intensity of purpose
Porter’s novel is ten years old this year. It has been ridiculously successful for a slender (114 pages) and apparently unconventional book.
Seeming to imitate some of the conventions of 20th century modernism (non-linear narratives; stream-of-consciousness; an interplay of myth and reality; shifting perspectives from miniscule detail to grand narrative), it should not have been destined to occupy the best-seller list.
And, yet, multiple awards later, it remains in regular rotation on the central displays of high street bookstores around the world. It has been adapted for the stage before, in a successful production in London starring Cillian Murphy in 2019, and in a less well-received 2025 film starrring Benedict Cumberbatch.
Philip Lynch and Fraser Morrison as the two boys provide an emotional antidote. Brett Boardman/Belvoir
It would be easy to dismiss this success as something to do with the aesthetic world within which it situates itself. Careful to use Faber and Faber’s classic font, Albertus (something it shares with the Belvoir production when passages are projected above the stage), the book is an elegant product that advertises its own self-conscious literariness.
But this assessment would miss the brilliance, the sophistication and the tender power of Porter’s writing, as well as the way that the book has already got there before you.
Porter plays with his own contemporary taming of older and wilder literary traditions. If Hughes’ Crow has been domesticated in Porter’s use of him (I can’t imagine Hughes’ Crow leaving us with the line, “Just be kind and look out for your brother”), he knows that this sentimentality is now hard-earned and not to be ignored.
What this production adds to Porter’s beautiful book is an intensity of purpose. This is a gloriously collaborative effort, from theatre makers at the height of their powers, to communicate the beauty that persists through the pain and degradation that life throws at us.
Grief is the Thing with Feathers is at Belvoir St Theatre, Sydney, until August 24.
Huw Griffiths does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Source: United States Senator for Nevada Cortez Masto
FTP for TV stations of her remarks is available here.
Cortez Masto told the story of a constituent named Hannah whose Type 1 diabetes makes her dependent on Medicaid coverage she may now lose
Washington, D.C. – To mark the 60th anniversary of Medicaid and Medicare, U.S. Senator Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) took to the Senate floor to call out President Trump and Congressional Republicans for gutting Medicaid in order to pay for a tax giveaway for billionaires.
Below are her remarks as prepared for delivery:
Mr. President, as my colleagues have mentioned, today marks 60 years since Medicare and Medicaid were signed into law.
Democrats and Republicans alike should be celebrating the lives that have been saved as a result of these critical programs. Members of both parties should be sharing stories about Americans who have benefitted from the health care they’ve received thanks to Medicare and Medicaid.
Unfortunately, today, my Democratic colleagues and I are not celebrating.
We are angry.
We’re angry that President Trump lied when he said he would “cherish Medicaid” and that his allies in Congress wouldn’t touch this essential program.
We’re angry that President Trump and Congressional Republicans slashed nearly $1 trillion from Medicaid so they could hand billionaires a tax cut – and add $4 trillion to our national deficit.
And, we’re angry that their new law is about to kick 17 million Americans off their health insurance.
In my home state of Nevada, that means up to 120,000 people will lose their health care.
100,000 of those Nevadans will lose their access to Medicaid. And another 20,000 Nevadans will lose their affordable health coverage if Republicans continue to refuse to work with Democrats to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits.
There are a million reasons why this new law gutting Medicaid is terrible for Nevadans and for our country as a whole. But today, I just want to focus on one: Hannah.
Hannah is a young girl who lives in Nevada, and her parents shared her story with me. Now, I want to share it with you.
Hannah was diagnosed with a congenital kidney disease while still in utero. The first few years of her life were full of hospital rooms, doctors, and machines trying to keep her alive.
At just two and a half years old, Hannah underwent a major surgery that finally gave her the opportunity to live like a normal kid. And she did, for a few years.
But then, at age nine, Hannah fell into a coma. Imagine being her parents, watching completely helpless as your daughter fights something you can’t protect her from.
Hannah did eventually wake up, but with a new diagnosis: diabetes, a condition nearly 270,000 Nevadans manage every day – not just the disease itself, but the crushing weight of the costs associated with it.
Over the next two years, Hannah’s parents spent more than $5,000 out-of-pocket because their insurance refused to cover all the costs. Hannah and her family sacrificed so much just to be able to afford medication that would allow Hannah to lead a normal life.
But just when they thought they would never be able to financially recover, they were able to enroll in Medicaid and receive the support they need to care for Hannah at home.
Now, Hannah is able to live the life she wants to lead, without the fear of medical debt pulling her family back underwater. I want to read to you what Hannah’s parents wrote me next:
“But without Medicaid, her insulin would cost more than our mortgage. Let that sink in. The price of the medication keeping my child alive is higher than the roof over her head – even after insurance. How does that make sense? America should be about neighbors caring for neighbors. But instead, we are pushing people with disabilities to the back of the line, treating their lives as less valuable, their futures as an afterthought. I beg you – I beg you – to save Medicaid. Not just for my Hannah, but for every child like her.”
My Democratic colleagues and I worked hard to save Medicaid. And we tried to reach across the aisle to protect the 17 million Americans just like Hannah who could lose their health insurance because of this bill.
But President Trump insisted Congressional Republicans pass his tax cut for billionaires, and they did what they were told.
So now, Hannah and her family, and millions more like them, may be forced back into medical debt.
And to the proponents of this new law who insist kids like Hannah aren’t the ones they’re targeting to kick off coverage, I’d say they’re either being dishonest, or they simply don’t understand how Medicaid actually works.
These cuts shrink the entire pot of money states rely on to fund Medicaid. Nevada, and every state in the country, will be forced to stretch fewer dollars to cover everyone. That almost always means tightening eligibility or cutting services, so kids like Hannah end up losing coverage – even if they weren’t the “type” of person Republicans singled out for cuts.
This is shameful. It’s un-American. We are better than this as a country.
My Democratic colleagues and I will do everything in our power to restore the health care funding Republicans have gutted.
