In recent years, the United States Congress and the Senate in particular have, through a series of hearings, statements, and appropriations bills, raised their concerns over the effectiveness of U.S. assistance to Egypt, focusing on end-use monitoring and human rights vetting of U.S. equipment, the Egyptian government’s intensifying crackdown on human rights and civil society, and scorched-earth counter-terror tactics, among other issues.
In August 2017, President Donald Trump’s administration withheld and reprogrammed nearly $300 million in foreign assistance to Egypt (including $195 million in military assistance for fiscal year 2016 withheld on the basis of democracy and human rights conditions), citing Egypt-North Korea relations and human rights as the primary reason.
