The Obama administration has taken the first steps towards cutting aid to Egypt, but Washington was still split Sunday on whether or not to make the decision of suspending aid to the country.
The US State Department has already put holds on financing for programs directly linked to Egypt because of concerns that the ousting of former President Mohammed Morsi by the current military government constitutes a coup, The New York Times reports. Only foreign aid has been suspended, but $585 million in military aid to the country remains.
Democrats are generally in support of cutting aid to Egypt, but some Republicans are still hesitant to completely cut aid. According to Associated Press, Representative Pete King R-NY stated that suspending aid could hurt the influence that the US has over the Egyptian government, and in turn our access to resources such as the Suez Canal. He added that the US should not choose either the side of the Morsi supporters or the military-backed government, because neither group is “good.” King went on to say, "But of the two, I think there is more opportunity to protect American interests if we work with the military and continue our relationship with the military."