The US congress debated on the foreign operations and related programmes appropriations act 2008 has passed some amendments on the part related to Ethiopia. Randy Forbes, Congressman from Virginia tabled the amendment citing the imprisonment and the conviction of the opposition leaders as a reason for his amendment proposal. The amendment however has not substantially affected US aid to Ethiopia.

In the appropriation bill 2008 the total amount of US aid to Ethiopia amounts to 481 million USD.The amendments affects the 3 million USD Ethiopia receives under the economic support fund. The congressman said in his amendment speech "This amount is simple. Ethiopia is expected to receive 481M USD this year from variety of accounts: Development assistance, Child survival, HIV AIDS, various security assistance, and lastly the economic support fund. The amendment also carefully excludes any defense related funding given the US-Ethiopia activities in the war on terror...Ethiopia will still receive full developmental assistance, child survival and HIV AIDS assistance totaling more than 400million USD."

The appropriation act will go to the Senate and then to the conference of senators and congress members who reconcile the two documents from the two houses. After the reconciliation it becomes law after the President signs it. It has a long way to go before it becomes law. Who knows what happens in the mean time. Even if it becomes law, as you can tell it is merely symbolic!