As part of America’s 2013 fiscal plan, President Barack Obama asked Congress for $800 million for the Arab Spring countries engulfed in revolutions, while asking to maintain $1.3 billion in military aid to Egypt.
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The proposed budget, which begins in October, is under heavy scrutiny from U.S. lawmakers who are looking to trim the size of the budget.
According to the White House budget document:
Obama proposed $51.6 billion in discretionary funding for the U.S. State Department and foreign aid overall, when $8.2 billion in assistance to war zones is included. The "core budget" for the category would increase by 1.6 percent, officials said.
The proposal said this approach "expands our bilateral economic support in countries such as Tunisia and Yemen, where transitions are already underway."
According to a Reuters report: