Overview

• Finance Minister Fernando Haddad confirmed he will stay in Brasília to steer negotiations on the bill rather than join Lula in New York, despite having obtained a new U.S. visa earlier this month.
• Health Minister Alexandre Padilha withdrew from the delegation after receiving a restricted-mobility U.S. visa that would confine his movements to a small area between the hotel and the U.N.
• Brazil’s Foreign Ministry and the United Nations acknowledged delays in U.S. visas for other members of the Brazilian delegation.
• The government estimates the proposed exemption would cost about R$25 billion, and a DIEESE study suggests the fully exempt population could roughly double from about 10 million to 20 million people.
• The Chamber approved urgency in August, Hugo Motta asked rapporteur Arthur Lira to brief party leaders on Sept. 23, and a plenary vote is possible but not yet scheduled as Lula travels with a reduced ministerial team and the first lady already in New York.