Rand Paul tells President Obama to follow the law and stop funneling billions into Egypt
Earlier today, President Barack Obama made a statement condemning the violence in Egypt that has resulted in hundreds dead of recent.
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Mr. Obama said in response to the violence, that he is canceling a joint military exercise with Egypt that had been scheduled for next month, saying traditional U.S. cooperation cannot continue as usual when civilians are being killed in the streets.
The President said, “The United States strongly condemns the steps that have been taken by Egypt’s interim government and security forces. We deplore violence against civilians. We support universal rights essential to human dignity, including the right to peaceful protest. We oppose the pursuit of martial law, which denies those rights to citizens under the principle that security trumps individual freedom or that might makes right.
“Given the depths of our partnership with Egypt, our national security interest in this pivotal part of the world, and our belief that engagement can support a transition back to a democratically elected civilian government, we’ve sustained our commitment to Egypt and its people. But while we want to sustain our relationship with Egypt, our traditional cooperation cannot continue as usual when civilians are being killed in the streets and rights are being rolled back.
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“As a result, this morning we notified the Egyptian government that we are canceling our biannual joint military exercise, which was scheduled for next month.”
Kentucky Senator Rand Paul made a statement in response to Mr. Obama’s statement today:
“While President Obama ‘condemns the violence in Egypt’, his Administration continues to send billions of taxpayer dollars to help pay for it. The law is very clear when a coup d’état takes place, foreign aid must stop, regardless of the circumstances. With more than 500 dead and thousands more injured this week alone, chaos only continues to grow in Egypt. So Mr. President, stop skirting the issue, follow the law, and cancel all foreign aid to Egypt.”
Senator Paul’s amendment to stop military foreign assistance to Egypt is tabled in the Senate
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