Ft Wayne Times

Senator Jim Banks, representing Indiana's 3rd district since 2017, recently shared his views on NPR through a series of tweets. Banks, who introduced the Defund NPR Act in the Senate, expressed concerns about taxpayer funding for NPR, citing what he perceives as its liberal bias.

On June 4, 2025, Banks tweeted about his legislative efforts to defund NPR. He stated: "One of the first bills I introduced in the Senate was my Defund NPR Act. Taxpayers should not be forced to fund NPR’s liberal bias. If NPR cannot stay afloat without government funding, that tells you all you need to know about the quality of their news."

In another tweet posted on the same day, Banks criticized NPR's coverage decisions regarding political stories. He wrote: "Let’s review the facts: In 2020, NPR branded Hunter Biden’s laptop story as a 'waste of time.' Meanwhile, NPR had no problem covering the fake Steele dossier, as part of the Russian collusion hoax meant to hurt President Trump during his first term in office."

Continuing his critique of NPR's editorial choices on June 4th, Banks highlighted its stance on significant news topics related to COVID-19 and foreign policy comparisons. He remarked: "Let’s also not forget that NPR not only dismissed the COVID lab leak theory, claiming it had been 'debunked'. They also compared President Trump’s push of the lab leak to the 'lead-up to [the] Iraq War.' You can’t make this up."

Jim Banks has served in Congress since succeeding Marlin Stutzman in 2017 and previously held a position in the Indiana Senate from 2010 to 2016. Born in Columbia City, Indiana in 1979 and an alumnus of Indiana University Bloomington with a BA degree earned in 2004, Banks remains an active voice in legislative matters.