The decision, announced to Congress, was made after Secretary of State Antony Blinken used his authority to approve the aid, including $95 million contingent on Egypt's progress in releasing political prisoners. However, the Middle East Democracy Center (MEDC), an advocacy group, condemned the move, calling it a "betrayal" of the administration's earlier commitment to prioritize human rights.
MEDC called on Congress to block the entire $320 million, particularly the $95 million, arguing that Egypt had not made meaningful improvements in human rights. In the past two years, Congress had taken similar actions to block military aid over concerns about Egypt's human rights record. Advocacy groups remain hopeful that Congress will step in once again.
A State Department spokesperson defended the decision, highlighting Egypt's role in promoting regional stability, including efforts to mediate conflicts in Gaza and Sudan. They also pointed to reforms in Egypt, such as pre-trial detention legislation and the release of over 950 political prisoners since September 2023.
Despite this, U.S. Senators Chris Murphy and Chris Coons expressed doubts that Egypt had made enough progress to warrant the aid. They pointed out that for every political prisoner released, more have been jailed, including U.S. residents Hosam Khalaf and Salah Soltan. Advocacy groups continue to push for their release, criticizing the notion that military aid can be used to pressure authoritarian regimes into reform.
