President Donald Trump is welcoming Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi to the White House on Tuesday for a second official visit.
The two leaders are expected to address topics including human rights, natural gas development in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea and Egypt's efforts to defuse tensions in Gaza through negotiations with Hamas.
El-Sissi led the 2013 military overthrow of elected but divisive Islamist President Mohammed Morsi. He has presided over an unprecedented crackdown on dissent, and was re-elected last year after all potentially serious challengers were jailed or pressured to exit the race.
Egypt is headed toward a national referendum that would potentially allow el-Sissi to remain in power until 2034.
Human Rights Watch says Congress should step up and condemn the initiative, given Trump's silence on abuses in Egypt.