News from Funders (US Economic Aid for Egypt) House Passes Money, U.N. Reform Bills With Unhelpful Provisions

(US Economic Aid for Egypt) House Passes Money, U.N. Reform Bills With Unhelpful Provisions. Shirl McArthur. Washington Report, September/October 2005, pages 28, 30. Congress Watch. Online October 2005. ... The House bill includes provisos—offered in the Appropriations Committee by Obey to head off even tougher provisions—that, of Egypt’s economic aid, “not less than $50 million shall be used for programs to improve and promote democracy, governance, and human rights and not less than $50 million shall be used for education programs.” The Senate bill provides $35 million for democracy and governance programs and $5 million for scholarships for the American University in Cairo, plus, as a floor amendment by Brownback, $50 million for education programs. Both bills also say that, with respect to the aid for governance and democracy activities, “the organizations implementing such assistance and the specific nature of that assistance shall not be subject to the prior approval of the Government of Egypt.” In addition, the Senate bill would withhold $227.6 million of economic aid until the secretary of state reports that Egypt has met the 2005 benchmarks for reform specified in the March 20, 2005 U.S.-Egypt Memorandum of Understanding and that Egypt has agreed to the installation of a radio transmitter for Radio SAWA in Egypt. …