The Obama Administration’s decision to ignore last week’s Egyptian coup seems to be a lot harder to swallow for Congressmen as the new junta moves to escalate its arrest of political rivals.
Senator John McCain (R – AZ) was among the first to criticize continuing the aid, but has now been joined by Senate Armed Services Committee chairman Sen. Carl Levin (D – MI), who urged the administration to suspend aid until the junta schedules its promised elections.
The White House has ruled out doing that, insisting that American “interests” are served best by keeping the aid flowing to the military irrespective of America’s own laws, which oblige the US to suspend aid in the event of a coup.
Instead, the administration says there are “no plans” to alter any of its substantial aid packages to Egypt’s military, and still intends to deliver four new F-16 fighter jets to the military in the next few weeks.
Dear congress: Impeach him or STFU.
As the administration already knows, the Congress is impotent, as a result of their own doing, btw. There have been so many times in the past 20 years that Congress could have – should have – flexed their prerogatives and stopped the Executive Branch from doing things they shouldn't have been able to do. But, Congress always tends to look at things from the perspective that, well, one day, he/she might be sitting at 1600 and well, they wouldn't want to curtail their own power.
So, what you get is what we've got. And because there is so much partisanship, the Congress doesn't usually have the collective power to accomplish anything.
And what exactly does Egypt need all this aid for according to Obama? What do they do with it?
It mostly goes to the Egyptian military. Like all foreign aid, its just abribe that gives the CIA and state department to run their country.
Right, and what does the military do with all that money? It's not like they're fighting a perennial war against someone.
Idk, I guess they get tanks and guns and stuff teargas and riot control gear in case democracy beaks out. .
Juan Cole reports that accusations of U.S medlling in the internal affairs of Egypt are all mush.