Response to Feinstein Response

Dear Senator Feinstein,

Received your response via email today. At first, I thought your letter was addressed to the wrong person since I have never objected specifically to foreign aid to Egypt in any of my letters; only to military weapons flowing to Mubarak (and military weapons flowing to all our “allies,” many of which are autocratic and repressive regimes like Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Israel and Mubarak’s Egypt). Since I began copying you, Senator Boxer and Representative Pelosi on my letters to the president on November 19, I went back through them to try and understand what you were responding to. The only letter sent or copied to you that even mentions Egypt is my November 23 letter in which I compare Morsi’s power grab to Obama’s, the unbridled assumption of power without oversight or check. I also speculated about the backroom deal that Obama might have made with Morsi, brothers under the skin, two peas in a pod. That letter was about the truce in Gaza that Morsi was lauded for brokering, the timing of it and his power grab the next day and NOT about foreign aid to Egypt or the ascension of the Muslim Brotherhood that you seem so concerned about. Most troubling about your letter however, is the way my letter was misread to serve your own ends, ignoring—or maybe not understanding the central point of my letter. While I appreciate hearing from my elected representatives (even though I did not vote for you or Pelosi), I really expected more from you and your aides (who, I’m sure, actually read and responded to my letter). I would expect more attention to the message received and more importantly, some oversight of the Executive Branch and consideration for the real issues we face, issues like global warming, unregulated fracking, ending unwarranted, lawless and costly wars, maldistribution of wealth, unaccountability of Wall Street Banksters, illegal home foreclosures and, one of your pet projects, the build-up of an all-encompassing Security State and the end of democracy as we knew it. What seems clear is that Congress is in business only to protect the 1%, rubber stamp Obama’s wars of aggression and make sure you get re-elected. At least you answered one of my letters but I must say, Senator Feinstein, the response was as disappointing as your record in Congress.

Wed, November 28, 2012 10:46:26 AM

U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein responding to your message

From:	"senator@feinstein.senate.gov" <senator@feinstein.senate.gov>
To:	ryoder

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Dear Mr. Yoder : Thank you for contacting me to express your concerns regarding United States foreign aid to Egypt.  I appreciate hearing your thoughts on this important topic, and I welcome the opportunity to respond. While I was heartened to see the citizens of Egypt participate in free and fair elections and begin a peaceful transition to a new era, I am closely monitoring the Muslim Brotherhood's commitment to democracy, human rights, and the rule of law.  Please know that I understand you have concerns about providing foreign aid to Egypt, especially given participation of the Muslim Brotherhood in the new Egyptian government and the difficult economic situation here at home.  While I believe that sustaining the strategic partnership between the United States and Egypt on counterterrorism and Israeli security issues is important, I also believe that it is imperative that Egyptian authorities respect human rights, religious freedom, due process, and the rule of law.  It is also critical that the new Egyptian government maintains its peace treaty with Israel. As you may know, the President's Fiscal Year (FY) 2013 Budget proposes $1.56 billion in economic and military aid to Egypt, similar to the levels approved in the previous three years. On May 24, 2012, the Senate Appropriations  Committee approved the FY 2013 State and Foreign Operations Appropriations Bill (S. 3241), which accepts the President's level of foreign aid to Egypt. The House Appropriations Committee has passed its own appropriations bill (H.R. 5857) and also approves the Administration's request.  Please know that both bills contain provisions that block the transfer of aid unless the U.S. Secretary of State certifies to Congress that the Egyptian Government has completed the transition to civilian government; is implementing policies to protect freedom of expression, association, and religion; and is meeting its obligations under the 1979 Egypt-Israel Peace Treaty. I also remain concerned about recent acts of violence targeting Coptic Christians in Egypt. Egyptian authorities must identify those responsible and bring them to justice. All Egyptians should be able to practice their faith freely without threat of violence or discrimination. Please be assured that I continue to monitor developments in Egypt closely, and I will keep your concerns in mind as the Senate discusses U.S.-Egypt relations and our foreign aid budget. Once again, thank you for  writing, and I hope that you will continue to keep me informed about issues of importance to you. Should you have any further comments or questions, please feel free to contact my Washington, D.C. office at (202) 224-3841, or visit my website at www.feinstein.senate.gov. Best regards. Sincerely yours, Dianne Feinstein United States Senator Further information about my position on issues of concern to California and the nation are available at my website, Feinstein.senate.gov.  You can also receive electronic e-mail updates by subscribing to my e-mail list. Click here to sign up.  And please visit my YouTube, Facebook and Twitter for more ways to communicate with me.