Congressional leaders apparently have given the green light to the Carter Administration to transfer $190 million from development programs in Egypt to be used for the purchase of agricultural products to help feed the Egyptian people.
The Foreign Operations Subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee agreed last week without dissent after Assistant Secretary of State for Middle Eastern Affairs, Alfred Atherton, conceded the transfer was for political and psychological reasons rather than a means to bolster Egypt’s economy.
Rep. Clarence Long (D. Md.). who questions economic support of Egypt when a quarter of its gross national product is going for arms, said that he “very reluctantly went along” with the transfer because the action did not represent an increase in aid but a readjustment and that he did not wish to see foreign policy made on a crisis-to-crisis basis with the Carter Administration just starting out.
Long insisted that the matter be placed on the public record and for that reason, an aide said, the hearing was arranged. Previously, acquiescence by the committee leadership usually was sufficient to approve such actions.
In the Senate, the Appropriations Subcommittee led by Sen, Daniel Inouye (D.Hawaii) has 15 days in which to object to the action but no hearing is scheduled and the Jewish Telegraphic Agency was informed it is unlikely it will be.
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