Tlaib to give progressive response to State of the Union

The Detroit Democrat will reportedly criticize Republicans and some Democrats who she says blocked improvements in health care and climate change, among other issues — portions of Biden’s economic agenda Tlaib says progressives pushed hard to enact. 

Rashida Tlaib Cropped 8/16/2019

Rep. Rashida Tlaib is set to give the Working Families Party response to President Biden’s State of the Union address on Tuesday.

Tlaib — one of the members of the “Squad” of progressives in Congress — reportedly plans to criticize both Republicans and some Democrats for blocking Biden’s Build Back Better economic agenda. In November, she said Democrats lost their leverage to pass the larger Build Back Better social spending bill by separating the two pieces of legislation.

The Detroit Democrat says in a statement that she wants to “elevate” the voices of working people, while lamenting that Congress is stalling legislation impacting health care, climate change, voting rights and other issues.

Traditionally, the major political party that is not in power gives an official response to the president’s joint session to Congress. And Republicans are set to offer their counterpoint to Biden’s speech. Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds will deliver the Republican Party’s response to Biden’s address, GOP leaders announced last week.

But in the last few years the Working Families Party has offered a progressive take on curing the nation’s ills.

Rep. Ayanna Pressley gave the party’s response two years ago.

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Author

  • Quinn Klinefelter is a Senior News Editor at 101.9 WDET. In 1996, he was literally on top of the news when he interviewed then-Senator Bob Dole about his presidential campaign and stepped on his feet.