Biden Administration Works with Congress on Military Aid to Egypt

The U.S. State Department announced on Wednesday that President Joe Biden's administration will work with Congress regarding military aid and arms sales to Egypt, following statements from the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman that he would block aid over human rights concerns. Senator Ben Cardin, a Democrat, stated on Tuesday that "the hold on current funds will remain" until Egypt makes progress on human rights issues, including practices related to pre-trial detention and the imprisonment of thousands of political activists. State Department Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel told reporters, "We will continue to engage closely not only with the Egyptian government but also with Congress on how these funds are used, in line with our commitment to the strategic partnership between the United States and Egypt, which enhances our shared vision of a safe and prosperous region and enables meaningful and sustainable progress on human rights issues." Reuters first reported on Saturday that Cardin intends to withhold some funds despite an earlier announcement this month that Secretary of State Antony Blinken had suspended human rights-related restrictions on $235 million in aid based on the security benefits it provides to the U.S. Washington is currently withholding $85 million in aid, a small portion of the $1.3 billion allocated to Egypt annually. Patel declined to specify the impact of Cardin's announcement, stating, "This is a process we are going through with Congress."