Representative Boustany Discusses U.S. Aid to Egypt on Alhurra
Rep. Charles Boustany (R-LA) spoke with Alhurra Television’s congressional correspondent Rana Abtar about U.S. assistance to Egypt as the country looks towards the upcoming presidential election. Rep. Boustany said he believes the U.S. should continue to provide assistance to Egypt remarking, “We’ve had a long standing relationship that has helped in security and so I think it is important to continue.”
He went on to say that helping keep Egypt stabilized also helps the broader security situation and stability in the region. “Whether it’s the situation in Libya, which seems to be degenerating, concerns in Algeria, the Sahelian region of Africa, things are unstable right now. And so it is in U.S. national interests right now to have a stable government in Egypt, and a government that is reform minded. But stability has to be the top concern.”
Boustany stated that he thought al-Sisi’s victory is a forgone conclusion in the May 26-27 election. However, he predicted a low turnout as voter fatigue for the Egyptian elections has set in. He believes this is due to three years of promised reforms that have yet to materialize. Commenting that al-Sisi has not publicly stated his plans regarding reform for Egypt, Rep. Boustany stated, “I think the responsibility will fall on Sisi’s shoulders now to chart a path forward for reforms and I hope he does. And I hope it doesn’t lapse into a simple military-run government.”
Rep. Boustany also discussed the situation in Syria and the resulting instability in the region. He said the volatility was creating a breeding ground for regional and international terrorists. He stated, “We are very concerned about these developments, this is a general increase in their instability. Which then increases the potential for other countries to get involved, whether it’s Iran, Saudis, Gulf states and we don’t know where that could lead.”