Politics

Senate continues aid to Egypt over Rand Paul’s objections

Alec Hill Contributor
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The Senate voted Wednesday to table Kentucky Republican Sen. Rand Paul’s amendment to the transportation and housing bill, which would have diverted aid to Egypt toward rebuilding America’s infrastructure.

Twelve senators voted with Paul against the continuation of the U.S. government’s support of the Egypt, which currently exceeds $1.5 billion per year.

$1.3 billion of that goes to “peace and security” purposes, supporting Paul’s claim that the aid money is primarily used to support a military that has killed hundreds of members of the deposed Muslim Brotherhood party in recent weeks.

Eighty-six senators, however, voted to preserve the foreign aid, agreeing with Tennessee Republican Sen. Bob Corker, who filed the motion to table the amendment, that a transportation bill was not the time to address major aspects of foreign policy.

Paul and others have argued that the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 makes any continuation of military or non-military aid to Egypt illegal, because it outlaws aid to countries “whose duly elected head of government is deposed by military coup.”

Paul has alleged that the president is simply ignoring U.S. laws because it is convenient to do so. The Obama administration has yet to label the ouster of President Mohammed Morsi as a coup.

“We tell other countries to follow the rule of law, yet our own administration fails to do so. Sending money to Egypt under their current military coups is illegal,” Paul said the day before the debate and vote took place. “Instead of illegally sending that money overseas, we are better off spending that money at home.”

Paul’s amendment would have funneled the aid money to Egypt toward a fund for repairing “bridges in critical corridors” and Paul was quick to point out the many domestic areas in America that were in bad need of assistance.

“The president sends billions of dollars to Egypt in the form of advanced fighter planes and tanks. Meanwhile, Detroit crumbles,” Paul noted. “Chicago is a war zone. More people will die in Chicago this year than in Afghanistan!”

Supporting Rand on the amendment were Republican Sens. Tom Coburn of Oklahoma, Ted Cruz of Texas, Mike Enzi and John Barrasso of Wyoming, Chuck Grassley of Iowa, Mike Crapo and James Risch of Idaho, Dean Heller of Nevada, John Thune of South Dakota, Jerry Moran of Kansas, Mike Lee of Utah and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky.

Watch Rand Paul’s remarks on the Senate floor:

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