SARASOTA – Rep. Greg Steube (R-FL), who represents Sarasota County in Congress, last week voted with 45 of the most extreme MAGA Republicans in the House of Representatives to defund NATO.
While President Joe Biden was in France honoring the soldiers who landed on Normandy Beach 80 years ago this month, Steube sided with the isolationist foreign policies of convicted felon Donald Trump by voting in favor of an amendment to defund NATO brought to the House floor by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA).
NATO, which comprises 32 countries from Europe and North America, was established to protect the people and territory of its members following World War II.
Greene’s amendment failed spectacularly, with 157 House Republicans voting against it along with all 197 Democrats.
“We’ve known for a long time that Greg Steube has no understanding of history or the role America plays in keeping our world safe from autocracy,” said Daniel Kuether, chairman of the Sarasota County Democratic Party. “Steube probably doesn’t know that NATO came to our country’s defense on 9/11 — the only time Article 5 has ever been invoked in the history of the alliance.”
In contrast, President Biden, while speaking in front of WWII veterans and dignitaries from France, Canada, and England, as well as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenski, lauded the formation of NATO. "What the Allies did here 80 years ago far surpassed anything we could have done on our own." He added, "A lesson that I pray we Americans never forget."
Today, despite Americans' overwhelming support for Ukraine's military defense against a Russian invasion 29 months ago, Steube has repeatedly voted against sending aid to Ukraine.
"Because defending Ukraine against Russian autocrat Vladimir Putin will ultimately be critical for America's national security, Steube's vote against Ukraine aid is a vote against America," said Kuether.
Kuether added that Rep. Steube’s voting record against Ukraine dismisses his constituents of the 17th Congressional District, which encompasses Sarasota, Charlotte, and a northern slice of Lee counties and includes one of the largest Ukrainian-American communities in the United States.
The Sarasota County Democratic Party (SCDP) is the local committee of the Florida Democratic Party. The mission of the SCDP is to encourage the fullest participation by all voters who believe in true freedom and fairness in our society. We stand up for justice, equality, and opportunity for our citizens and support qualified candidates who will promote these goals.
Learn more at www.sarasotadems.org. Contact Information: daniel.kuether@sarasotadems.org 941-330-9400
