House of Representatives - June 28, 2005

We must not indefinitely subsidize tyranny 

Madam Speaker, 

Today we will debate whether to keep pouring money into Egypt just to subsidize its military expansion. 

For the last 25 years we poured billions of dollars into Egypt. 

Each year we give that country about $1.3 billion just in military aid in addition to economic aid.

But all the money seems to do is reinforce a regime that refuses change and excuses oppression. 

It oppresses religious minorities, it obstructs democratic reforms, it censors the media. I think that money can be better spent elsewhere.

Today, I will offer an amendment redirecting some of this military aid to fighting malaria in Africa, a preventable disease that kills as many as 3 million people a year. Poor nations are most at risk, some 40 million in Africa.

While we have a strategic responsibility to support allies, we have a responsibility to help fight disease where we can, and reducing Egypt's military funding will serve as a wake-up call to a country that votes against the United States over 91 percent of the time in the U.N. We will not indefinitely subsidize tyranny.

Congress has the authority to determine what we subsidize. Today we will make that clear.