Greg Steube: “Americans deserve the assurance that their hard-earned taxpayer dollars are going to fulfill the needs of the American…”

“Americans deserve the assurance that their hard-earned taxpayer dollars are going to fulfill the needs of the American people and not be funneled to terrorists who threaten our very existence. I stood here just 9 months ago offering the same amendment to ensure that no taxpayer funds would be made available to the Lebanese Armed Forces, a military force that emboldens Hezbollah and their Iranian handlers to spread terror and destruction upon our ally, Israel, and the entire Middle East. Guess what happened just 9 days later on October 7? To say that Hezbollah and the Lebanese Government are two separate entities is just plain false. They are merely two sides of the same coin. Not only do Hezbollah and its allies control dozens of seats in Lebanon's parliament, but they literally sit at the helm of the military force that our tax dollars have been propping up since 2006. Its grip extends across its military, through its government, and over a majority of its politicians. Even advocates of aid to the Lebanese military recognize Hezbollah's influence over its Defense Ministry is rampant. We may as well be sending these checks directly to Hezbollah headquarters. Money is fungible. Why should the generosity of the American people be used to fund a terror haven unwilling and unable to counter Hezbollah? As we stand here today, Israel is in a state of war with Hamas. An all-out war with Hezbollah to the north seems to be imminent.…”