Senator Patrick Leahy: Egypt Will Lose Aid If Mubarak Does Not Step Down (VIDEO)

Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs, the body that oversees American foreign aid, warned Egypt on Wednesday that unless President Mubarak steps down and the violence stops, Egypt will lose its financial assistance from the United States. In an interview on MSNBC, Leahy told Cenk Uygur:

"Time has run out, and the options that might have been available to President Mubarak three or four years ago are not there now. It is unrealistic to think he can wait until elections in September. It also does not help his position to have people -- actually thugs -- in the street that appear to be government sponsored."

The senator said aid will be discontinued sooner rather than later. "We have a lot of aid in the pipeline now," he explained. "That pipeline will be turned off. There is nobody -- Republican or Democratic -- in the Senate or I suspect in the House that is going to vote for an aid package for Egypt under these circumstances."

The senator made it cear that the United States will continue assistance to Egypt if a new leader assumes power: "Aid will continue to Egypt if you have someone who's come in with credibility who is trying to help the people, trying to help those who are unemployed, those who are not being fed."

In a different segment Leahy also said that Mubarak's efforts to fight the protests are futile saying,"I think it is him saying I don't want to leave, and I think it's an act of desperation."

WATCH:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Comments

[jessicalynnh]

01:03 AM on 02/05/2011

Instead of the usual interventionist policies, with the US arrogantly trying to control everything, Obama's hands off approach is refreshing. The Egyptians have a right to decide their government, and they don't need us installing puppet leaders. It's the right approach. BUT THEN Sen. Leahy swoops in and rips the money away, and folks, that's how it's done. Money talks, Mubarak walks. It's not only sound judgment to withhold money from Egypt right now, while the country is in total chaos, it also sends a message: we are watching you, we will not continue to finance a regime in direct opposition to the will of it's people. What Leahy is doing here is in line with American moral values, and it could actually help us establish some credibility in the Arab world. I hope and pray for a swift and peaceful resolution in Egypt.

[thewasteland]

12:58 PM on 02/04/2011

Bribe money! And we're paying for it, folks! While the in the trilllions dollar deficit is hurling us inevitably toward a 1923 Weimar Republic nightmare! True patriots in Washington! Looking out for America!

[comer23]

01:30 AM on 02/04/2011

Isn't it kind of odd that America keeps back dictators. We should have never supported the guy for so long to begin with.

[johnnyboy13]

12:20 AM on 02/04/2011

Leahy is a whacko!

[Tunghoy]

02:51 AM on 02/04/2011

Only if "whacko" is a synonym for "great American with giant intellect".

[SageSpencer]

11:30 PM on 02/03/2011

We shouldn't have been supporting a 30 year DICTATOR.

[duxguts]

09:12 PM on 02/03/2011

Hey Senator Leahy why didn't you threaten to do this years ago?

[BMcCue7]

08:27 PM on 02/03/2011

Man, I really like the fact that Cenk Uygur is getting the opportunity to weigh in on these matters in the mainstream media.

I've been a fan for a long time. The dude started out from making YouTube videos from his living room, and The Young Turks has been getting more and more viewers as time goes by. Now he's interviewing Senators on MSNBC and all. This is great.

[2n2]

08:15 PM on 02/03/2011

Well, finally a US politician says what Obama lacks the nadz to say!

Kudos to Kerry for his op-ed and subsequent interviews.

Glad Leahy said/threatened what Obama should long-ago have threatened.

[Veganie]

08:14 PM on 02/03/2011

Both leaders Mubarak and Ahmadinejad have the same respect for elections. America should think about cutting billions of aid to Egypt.

[bighat]

07:47 PM on 02/03/2011

Weshould stop giving aid to all countries.Everywhere Hillary goes shecarries a US checkbook evento Yemen.
 
Let the middle east sort out their own probllems.
 
We can still buy oil

[2n2]

08:17 PM on 02/03/2011

Oh, knock it off....

The way you throw the name "Hillary" into your comment unmasks you.

Talk about the bankrupt foreign policy of the US -- don't act like it started with this particular Secretary of State.

[getoffmedz]

07:46 PM on 02/03/2011

President Mubarak is playing his cards for impertinence just the same as Prime Minister Netanyahu, who originated the current Middle Eastern custom of humiliating our President Obama, openly.

Then, it would be more than fair to cut aid to Israel as well, Senator Leahy.

In conjunction, countries who openly support the 30 year "President" of Egypt and his gangster tactics should likewise see their aid reduced to ZERO! At least until a regime change occurs.

[2n2]

08:18 PM on 02/03/2011

What a breath of fresh air this comment is!

F&F (the first time I've ever typed that)

[getoffmedz]

08:26 PM on 02/03/2011

Indeed an honor. Thanks.

Fair is fair.

[gypsy508]

07:16 PM on 02/03/2011

Leverage like this is only good if you use it...and it is the only real leverage America has.

[2n2]

08:19 PM on 02/03/2011

Agree.

Use it or lose it!

[HappyMarsden]

06:46 PM on 02/03/2011

Now THAT'S what I wanted to hear. Leahy is one of the rare good guys. Thank you Mr. Leahy.

[EJP2011]

06:40 PM on 02/03/2011

Thank you Senator Leahy. It's about time folks in Congress start stepping up on this issue since the WH doesn't seem to be willing to broach this subject.

[sheoples]

06:21 PM on 02/03/2011

violence continues at the hands of plain clothes police (aka pro mubarak portestors).......yet obama has STILL not cut funding.

obama admin's words have no meaning. just empty threats to cut off funding.

[2n2]

08:21 PM on 02/03/2011

Yeah..... I'm trying to figure out exactly from whom he is awaiting his marching orders!