Cardin Pledges to Block $235M in Egypt Military Aid, Putting Him at Odds With Biden
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Senator Ben Cardin, new chairman of Senate Foreign Relations Committee, pledges to block $235 million in military aid to Egypt.
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Cardin's move puts him in conflict with Biden admin, which decided Egypt security relationship was too important to jeopardize.
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Decision comes after Cardin replaced Sen. Menendez as chairman; Menendez indicted on bribery charges related to Egypt military sales.
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Cardin threatens to block future military aid unless Egypt makes progress on human rights issues like releasing prisoners.
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Biden admin previously waived human rights requirements to provide Egypt $235 million in military aid tied to those benchmarks.