Newly elected United States Senator Abdul El-Sayed has said he wants to ban unconditional US military aid to Pakistan and every other country that receives it. He argues that American tax money should pay for schools at home, not weapons abroad.
He made the remarks at a “Students vs. Billionaires” town hall with Senator Bernie Sanders at the Michigan Theater in Ann Arbor on October 26. El-Sayed, a Michigan Democrat, defeated Republican Mike Rogers in the November 3 midterm election and became the first Muslim elected to the US Senate.
What El-Sayed said about US military aid to Pakistan
“Right now, they’re getting bombs and tanks and unconditional foreign military aid. I want to ban unconditional foreign military aid. I want to ban it to Israel, I want to ban it to Egypt, where my family immigrated from, to Jordan, to Pakistan, to Saudi Arabia, to Qatar, to all of them,” El-Sayed said. “I don’t pay my tax dollars so another country gets a bomb or a tank. We pay our taxes so that our kids get good schools.”
El-Sayed said he would apply the same standard to every country, rather than single out Israel. He has made the same point before. On The Weekly Show with Jon Stewart on October 21, he said: “The money we use to subsidize apartheid should be invested here.”
Why the remarks carry weight now
El-Sayed’s win on November 3 gives his words a new platform. He takes his seat when the new Congress convenes in January. Abdul El-Sayed became the first Muslim elected to the US Senate after a campaign built on Medicare for All, campaign finance reform and an end to unconditional military aid. His election was one of several historic firsts in the midterms, and Democrats also expanded their House majority to 253 seats.
His position is not a blanket ban on all foreign aid. El-Sayed supports military aid to Ukraine, and he has drawn a clear line between aid to Kyiv and unconditional support for other governments. In a November 1 interview on 60 Minutes, he answered yes when asked whether Palestine and Israel both have a right to exist.
He cannot ban aid on his own. A ban would need majority support in the Senate and the House, plus the president’s signature. As a senator, though, he will vote on foreign aid bills and can push to attach conditions or block blank-check assistance.
What it could mean for Pakistan
The comments matter for Islamabad because Pakistan has long received US financing and equipment. Washington suspended most security assistance to Pakistan in January 2018, and Islamabad has since asked Washington to restore it. Any Senate move to ban unconditional aid would land in the middle of that effort.
The Senate already has one member with a direct Pakistan connection. Chris Van Hollen, a Maryland senator, was born in Karachi and is now eyeing a 2028 presidential run. El-Sayed would join him in a chamber where Pakistan rarely features in debate, and where his call for consistent standards on aid could find both allies and critics.
For now, the remarks are a campaign position, not a Senate vote. The midterm results also produced other firsts for women and minority candidates, and the election of a Muslim mayor in New York alongside a Muslim senator marked a first in US history. The debate over unconditional aid will surface again when Congress takes up foreign aid spending.
What happens next
El-Sayed takes his seat in January, when the new Congress opens. His first test will come when foreign aid bills reach the Senate floor. Until then, his remarks stand as a statement of intent, and a sign of how the newest senator plans to vote.
The debate over unconditional aid is not limited to Pakistan. It covers Israel, Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Qatar as well, and it will test how far the Senate is willing to go in placing conditions on American weapons.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Abdul El-Sayed?
A Michigan Democrat and physician, El-Sayed defeated Republican Mike Rogers on November 3 to become the first Muslim elected to the US Senate. He takes his seat when the new Congress convenes in January.
What did El-Sayed say about military aid?
He said he wants to ban unconditional foreign military aid to Israel, Egypt, Jordan, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and every other country that receives it. He said US tax money should fund schools at home instead of bombs and tanks abroad.
Does he want to ban aid to Pakistan only?
No. He said he would apply the same standard to every country, rather than single out Israel. Pakistan is one of several countries he named.
Can he ban the aid on his own?
No. A ban would need majority support in the Senate and the House, plus the president’s signature. As a senator, El-Sayed can vote on foreign aid bills and push to attach conditions.
What is the current state of US military aid to Pakistan?
Washington suspended most security assistance to Pakistan in January 2018. Islamabad has since asked Washington to restore it, and El-Sayed’s remarks land in the middle of that effort.
