Several Democratic senators expressed strong opposition on Thursday to the Biden administration’s decision to send $1.3 billion in military aid to Egypt, despite the country’s persistent record of human rights abuses. The move has sparked widespread criticism, with lawmakers arguing that Egypt’s authoritarian regime under President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi has shown little to no improvement in its human rights record, despite U.S. pressure.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken used his authority to waive human rights conditions on $225 million of the aid, citing Egypt’s strategic importance in mediating conflicts in the Middle East, including its efforts to broker a cease-fire in Gaza. “This decision waives requirements on an additional $225 million of military aid to Egypt that is tied to broader improvements on democracy and human rights,” stated Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.). “It’s no secret that Egypt remains a deeply repressive autocratic state, and I see no good reason to ignore that fact by waiving these requirements.”
Murphy, alongside Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.), issued a joint statement highlighting their disappointment with the administration’s decision to fully fund Egypt, particularly focusing on the release of $95 million in aid, which Congress had tied to human rights improvements. “The law is clear: Egypt is required to make ‘clear and consistent progress’ in releasing political prisoners in order to receive $95 million,” the senators stated. “The Egyptian government has failed that test.”
Their frustration stems from Egypt’s ongoing practice of jailing political dissidents. According to Murphy and Coons, “For every single political prisoner Egypt has released, it has jailed two more.” They added that among the political prisoners are two U.S. legal permanent residents, Hosam Khalaf and Salah Soltan, whose continued detention remains a significant point of contention.
Murphy and Coons, along with other lawmakers, have consistently pushed the Biden administration to enforce the conditions set by Congress. Last week, Murphy, Coons, and nine other senators, including Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), called on Blinken to withhold aid to Egypt “until Egypt’s human rights record improves.”
While human rights groups and lawmakers have voiced opposition to Egypt receiving military aid, the Biden administration emphasized the country’s strategic role in the Middle East. Blinken defended the decision, citing Egypt’s involvement in mediating efforts between Israel and Hamas and facilitating humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza. He acknowledged that Egypt had made some progress, including releasing over 950 political prisoners since September 2023 and moving forward with reforms to its pretrial detention practices.
“The United States is continuing a rigorous dialogue with the Egyptian government on the importance of concrete human rights improvements,” the State Department said in a statement. However, it also acknowledged that “more action is needed” from Cairo to address ongoing violations.
Despite these assurances, critics point to Egypt’s deeply entrenched autocratic practices and failure to meet even basic human rights benchmarks. The State Department’s most recent country report on Egypt highlighted a series of grave abuses, including:
- Arbitrary or unlawful killings, including extrajudicial killings.
- Enforced disappearances.
- Torture and inhuman or degrading treatment by government authorities.
- Life-threatening prison conditions.
- Arbitrary arrests and detentions.
- Repression of political dissidents and journalists.
Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) echoed these concerns, stating, “Egypt has failed to make consistent progress, yet the State Department has decided to release additional military aid. The administration should use the leverage Congress provided to defend the fundamental rights of Egyptian political prisoners and dissidents.”
Human Rights Watch has consistently reported that while Egypt occasionally releases detainees, it arrests many more, leaving thousands of political prisoners, activists, and journalists behind bars. “Over the last year, for every single political prisoner Egypt has released, it has jailed two more,” Murphy and Coons emphasized in their statement.
The U.S. relationship with Egypt has long been complicated by Egypt’s strategic importance in the Middle East, which includes its peace treaty with Israel and control over the Suez Canal, a vital route for global trade. Nonetheless, human rights abuses under el-Sissi’s regime have been a consistent source of tension between Washington and Cairo.
Egypt has repeatedly denied the existence of political prisoners within the country, with el-Sissi claiming that measures taken by his government are necessary to combat terrorism. However, rights groups continue to challenge this narrative, pointing to systemic repression and violations that extend beyond counterterrorism efforts.
Although Blinken’s waiver allows the continuation of U.S. military aid to Egypt, the decision has raised questions about whether Washington is compromising its human rights values for geopolitical interests. Critics argue that the U.S. should leverage its aid to push for more substantial reforms in Egypt rather than offering concessions that allow abuses to persist unchecked.
“The Egyptian government has failed that test,” Murphy stated bluntly, calling for the U.S. to hold firm in its commitments to human rights and democracy.
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