Senate panel cuts aid to Egypt, Palestinians
Senate appropriators voted 25-5 to "send a message."
The Senate Appropriations panel overwhelmingly approved a $48.3 billion State and Foreign Operations bill on June 19 that cuts aid to Egypt and the Palestinians amid mounting congressional ire at the two pesky partners.
The panel voted 25-5 to approve a base bill that cuts aid to Egypt by $400 million, including a $300 million cut to the historic $1.3 billion annual budget for military aid.
And senators approved by voice-vote an amendment, first reported by Al-Monitor, to cut aid to the Palestinians by the amount paid to alleged terrorists in Israeli prisons and their families.
"We have to send Egypt a message," said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., the top Republican on the State and Foreign Operations subpanel. "We're still engaging with Egypt, we still have funding for Egypt, but we're reducing their money because we want the Egyptian government to understand that democracy is important, and that we're looking and watching as to how you run your judiciary and how Egypt is evolving."
