Dispatch from DC: Enterprise attended a meeting at the Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy in Washington, DC. The get-together for members of the media took place on the sidelines of AmCham’s annual Doorknock mission to DC, which runs through Friday. Research Director Allison McManus and Advocacy and External Relations Manager Amr Kotb spoke about the Egypt-U.S. relations. Key takeaways from the discussion:

• Gesture of goodwill: The warm welcome accorded President Abdel Fattah El Sisi during his recent visit to the United States was a gesture of goodwill, but has yet to result in a significant shift in policy or in concrete follow-ups.
• Economic aid is easing because Egypt isn’t using it: Economic aid to Egypt (ie: non-military assistance) has eased to USD 112 mn from a previous USD 150 mn not as a punitive action, but because Egypt hasn’t been allowing the deployment of US funding, especially following the effective “ criminalization” of foreign funding for civil society. (Separately, we remind readers that a leaked budget document suggests non-military aid to Egypt could fall to USD 75 mn from an on-the-books USD 142.7 mn under the Trump administration’s plan to cut spending on foreign aid.)
• The Congress’s views on reviewing assistance to Egypt are only a reflection of domestic policies. The Congress wants to take a more active role, especially given that President Donald Trump comes from outside the establishment.