White House Denies Reports It's Cutting Egyptian Aid

You can't just turn it on and off

The Obama administration is denying reports that it is withholding some military aid to Egypt as it considers a response to escalating violence following the military's ouster of president Mohamed Morsi.

White House spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters Tuesday that a review of the United States' $1.5 billion a year in assistance to Egypt has not concluded and that published reports suggesting assistance to Egypt has been cut off are "not accurate."

"Providing foreign assistance is not like a spigot. You don't turn it off and on or turn it up or down like a faucet. Assistance is provided episodically, […] it's provided in specific traunches, and so those traunches are under an ongoing review."