President Joe Biden’s next human rights test is around the corner. The administration faces an end-of-month deadline to inform Congress of how much military assistance it will send to Egypt, a close strategic partner in the Middle East with a long track record of jailing dissidents and stifling free speech.
In a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken sent Tuesday, seven House Democrats led by House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.) urged the administration not to release a portion of Egypt’s assistance if it fails to fully meet the requirements outlined in the annual appropriations legislation.