Washington, D.C.– Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva, co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC), and Rep. Mike Honda, chair of the CPC Afghanistan-Pakistan Task Force, today released the following statement on the political situation in Egypt:

“We urge President Obama to show the international community that America will be a leading supporter of peaceful, organic independence movements in the Middle East and throughout the world. The Egyptian people have made it clear that President Mubarak’s recent administrative changes do not satisfy their calls for a free and democratic Egypt. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton should use all diplomatic channels available to support a political process that peacefully engages all Egyptian political groups. Such inclusion is in the best interest of Egypt and its neighbors. The Egyptian government has long played a strong peacekeeping role in the Middle East, and continuing that role is essential for national and regional success.

The CPC calls on the Obama administration and Congress to begin a thorough review and re-evaluation of our foreign policy and foreign aid programs. The prime goal of foreign aid must be to elevate the socio-economic and political conditions of recipient countries and their populaces, not the personal enrichment of government leadership and oppressive control of the populace.

The Caucus also seeks a thorough review of all current advanced weapons sales to authoritarian allied governments and the curtailing of any such future sales. Military aid in any part of the world must be coupled with equally robust funding for socio-economic and political reforms in order to safeguard long term stability. Selling advanced weaponry and technology to undemocratic, authoritarian governments has great potential for creating rather than resolving regional instability.”