Sarasota Review

Congressman Greg Steube, a U.S. Representative from Florida's 17th congressional district, addressed several issues on his social media account on July 17, 2025.

In a post published at 13:30 UTC, Steube criticized NPR and its leadership, stating: "NPR thinks rural Americans are an uneducated, uncivilized horde in need of left-wing indoctrination. Someone tell Katherine Maher that we don’t need NPR. What we really need is our money back. I’ll be voting to defund it later today."

Later the same day at 18:40 UTC, Steube commented on U.S. foreign aid to Lebanon’s military: "Not a single taxpayer dollar should be sent to the Lebanese Armed Forces — a military force riddled with Hezbollah sympathizers. Every dollar funneled to Lebanon is another resource aiding Hezbollah’s operations, undermining regional stability, and threatening Israel’s security."

At 20:08 UTC, he raised concerns about environmental contamination and public health: "Microplastics have contaminated our food and water—and the government still hasn’t investigated the long-term health risks. Charlotte, Lee, and Sarasota Counties are already seeing alarming rates of disease and illness. Americans should expect clean food and drinking water."

NPR is funded by a combination of private donations and federal grants distributed through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). Proposals to defund NPR have been debated periodically in Congress but have not passed into law.

U.S. assistance to the Lebanese Armed Forces has historically aimed to bolster stability in Lebanon and counter extremist groups such as Hezbollah. However, some members of Congress have raised concerns about the potential for this aid to inadvertently benefit Hezbollah-affiliated actors within Lebanon’s security apparatus.

Microplastic pollution has become an increasing concern among scientists due to its prevalence in water supplies and potential links to health risks; however, research into long-term impacts remains ongoing.