Rep. Tlaib: 'It's simple: I'm giving a speech about supporting Pres Biden and his agenda'

[bigtree]

Link to tweet

from The Grio:

____In an interview with the Nation, Rep. Tlaib makes it plain that she will remind President Biden of the same energy that he had on the 2020 campaign trail when he set a positive, inspiring vision for the country and how he didn’t hesitate to enact it when he took office, especially his swift action to pass the American Rescue Plan. “In particular, she will argue that Democrats need to refocus attention on the Build Back Better agenda as the 2022 midterm elections approach,” the Nation’s John Nichols writes. “‘I’ll literally say, ‘Mr. President, it’s unfinished. We’re here to help. Let’s get it done,’” Tlaib said.

...The Congressional Progressive Caucus has been front and center working to advance President Biden’s agenda, and Rep. Tlaib will celebrate achievements like the effectiveness of the child tax credit that Biden included in the American Rescue Plan and how it pulled millions of children out of poverty, how critical investments were throughout this pandemic in historically excluded communities as well as the president’s historic nomination of the first Black woman to the Supreme Court with Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson. Rep. Tlaib will also likely push Biden on critical issues like canceling student loan debt and expanding benefits and support for people experiencing poverty.

But the fact remains that the president’s agenda is unfinished, and the president and Democrats must use their majorities in Congress to refocus on delivering their campaign commitments as we approach the November midterm elections. Truly, this is the most basic of election strategies—help as many people as you can by delivering on what you promised.

The cornerstone of Rep. Tlaib’s speech tonight is that “It doesn’t have to be this way,” and her response is, quite frankly, a well-timed push for President Biden and Democrats to get to work. It’s not divisive to say that there is still a window of time where Democrats can pass components of the Build Back Better legislation that will help people right now. It’s not divisive to outline progressives’ continued support for President Biden’s vision and 2020 campaign promises. It’s not divisive to express the frustration and the urgency that people who are struggling across the nation are feeling in real time. It’s not divisive to tell the nation that progressives are fighting to deliver an agenda that is still overwhelmingly popular.

read more: https://thegrio.com/2022/03/01/rashida-tlaib-responds-state-of-union/

[Mme. Defarge]

1. Saw a headline referring to this maneuver

as keying your own car.

[bigtree]

2. I'm old enough to remember another speech given on SOTU night

...with a Dem president in office.

Rep. Jamaal Bowman offered remarks in 2021, also on behalf of the Working Families Party. So, this is not the first time remarks will be made while a Democratic occupies the White House.

[Autumn]

4. I saw that bullshit headline too. I bet Josh Gottheimer would rather have Manchin give a rebuttall.

Instead of offering support for our Presidents aganda for the American people.

[PatSeg]

11. "I'll literally say, 'Mr. President, it's unfinished.'"

Like the President doesn't know BBB is unfinished? How is that helping him when the inference is that it is perhaps his failure? I hope she rephrases that.

And hopefully she expresses her disappointment to the people responsible for the obstruction in congress, as Biden has done everything he could to get his legislation passed.

Sadly, I am afraid her response will get her a lot of attention, but won't sway the senators who have obstructed the BBB bill. I predict some headlines, but no real progress.

[Autumn]

16. She knows what to say and whatever she says is fine. You don't like it? Don't listen to her.

Sghe doesn't need any advice. We all know who the people are that are responsible for no progress. Try trashing them for a change.

[PatSeg]

27. Oh, I criticize those people on a regular basis

I am not trashing her, but we have no way of knowing if "whatever she says is fine" until we've heard it. She has given reason in the past to be concerned.

In November 2021, she as one of six House Democrats to break with their party and vote against the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act because it was decoupled from the social safety net provisions in the Build Back Better Act.

She advocated abolishing the police and prisons - "No more policing, incarceration, and militarization. It can't be reformed."

About endorsing Joe Biden in 2020: "If the ultimate goal is to get rid of Donald Trump, that doesn't have to involve me actually endorsing Biden."

[Scrivener7]

37. DON'T DISAGREE WITH HER!!! YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED!!!

How ridiculous.

[Autumn]

40. Disagee with her all you want. But don't pretend her giving a response is harming Bidens agenda or

that her giving a response is something that just isn't done. This has been done for years and SHE supports Bidens agenda.

[Scrivener7]

41. No, often she does not support Biden's agenda.

[Autumn]

42. Your opinion. nt

[Scrivener7]

44. Lol. Provable public fact.

[ColinC]

22. I think it is about reaffirming to the left leaning independents

That this agenda and president is worth supporting.

[PatSeg]

28. I hope so

She really needs to show her support for the President.

[bigtree]

45. and she did

[WhiskeyGrinder]

9. The guy who said that is a centrist Dem who is *also* giving a response tonight.

[bigtree]

12. exactly, they know their own obstinacy will be highlighted in her speech

...so-called centrists are the key obstructionists to the rest of Pres. Biden's agenda.

Their continued blocking of BBB and voting rights will be the highlight of Rep.Tlaib's remarks tonight. No wonder they're trying to deflect the criticism onto the president.

[Kali]

19. the I got mine, git offa ma lawn faction

doesn't want to hear any agreement - much less constructive criticism - while dishing it out by the truckload and complaining that the kids won't work or vote.

[comradebillyboy]

3. Sure sounds like she will be criticizing Biden for not embracing

the DSA platform. She has never been anything like a unifying force in the Democratic Party.

[bigtree]

5. link?

...as far as I can see here, she thinks Pres. Biden has carried the ball as far as he's able.

I believe it will be 'moderate' obstructionists of Pres. Biden's agenda that she'll be highlighting.

And if she speaks about forgiving college loan debt, remember, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer tweets weekly that Pres. Biden should use his executive power to erase those.

[comradebillyboy]

14. It's my very own opinion. So there is no link.

Student debt forgiveness is not a part of Biden's agenda. Perhaps our elected representatives in the House and Senate could craft a piece of legislation to address student debt and the high cost of education. One time student debt forgiveness does nothing to reduce financial burdens or get college costs under control. Spending that kind of money and reforming education properly require legislative action.

[bigtree]

20. the issue in this thread is her speech

...I wanted to point out her position on student loans isn't any more anti-Biden than Chuck Schumer intends with his own advocacy.

[Autumn]

10. Rep. Tlaib: 'It's simple: I'm giving a speech about supporting Pres Biden and his agenda'

Yeah that sounds just like she plans on criticizing Biden.

[comradebillyboy]

15. Just like she supported the infrastructure deal.

[Autumn]

17. Rep. Tlaib: 'It's simple: I'm giving a speech about supporting Pres Biden and his agenda'

Words are hard huh?

[bigtree]

24. she didn't tank that bill with her protest vote. And she was right that Manchin would renege on BBB

...I'll just leave her own reasoning for her non-consequential vote here:

"I truly believe that voting for BIF without Build Back Better is going to essentially kill all of the progress we've made," Tlaib said, "and the additional money that we needed for lead replacement lines, the additional money that we needed to address child care and home care needs for our residents."

She and other lawmakers lamented elements that were cut from the social spending package, which was slimmed down from $3.5 trillion to $1.75 trillion

No longer in the package are paid family leave, efforts to lower prescription drug prices or two years of free community college. Tlaib also noted funding for lead service line removal was slashed from $30 billion to $9 billion.

"We can’t Build Back Better if our children are being poisoned with lead," she said. "We need to fully fund lead pipe replacement in our country, and that means getting closer to $60 billion — not half measures that aren't going to help communities like Benton Harbor and communities that look like mine."

Tlaib noted there have been no guarantees of support for Biden's latest $1.75 trillion framework from key Democratic Sens. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, who pushed for the trimmer legislation and whom Tlaib blamed for "obstructing" progress and gutting the spending bill.

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2021/10/28/tlaib-holds-out-better-deal-social-spending-infrastructure-bills-im-still-in-this-fight/6179586001/

...she was right. Manchin did not intend to support Pres. Biden's agenda, he intended to leave the social spending behind.

But not Tlaib. Say what you will, but her vote hasn't threatened/ended ANY of the president's agenda; not in Manchin-like public pronouncements; not in negotiations which saw millions in social spending stripped from BOTH bills; nor on the floor at voting time.

[BradAllison]

7. No, no we don't support BBB anymore!!!!

Joe Mansion doesn't want it!!!!! Free shit!!!! Hand outs!!!!

[LetMyPeopleVote]

8. I am not going to bother watching this stunt

I really do not trust this person.

[Torchlight]

13. I think she'll reiterate Pres. Biden's goals and achievements

in such as way as to attempt to better soothe any misunderstandings between the factions within the party.

I don't really see her acting as an obstacle to the administration's goals and agendas, but instead as an agent of union between the divisions.

[Beastly Boy]

18. What I resent about the DSA rhetoric is,

when they are talking about the parts of the progressive agenda that is popular with the American people, they neglect to mention that they are talking about the long-standing items on the Democratic agenda that are not unique to DSA, while claiming full credit for it. And when they are silent about parts of their agenda that are unique to them, they hide the reality of those parts not being popular with the American people. And when they criticize the mainstream Democrats for certain items they find objectionable, they neglect to mention that these items are also popular with the American people despite DSA opposition.

Having said this, I must give the Congressional Progressive Caucus full credit where they supported the Biden agenda, even when their support was not complimented by that of the Democratic Socialists of America. If Ms. Tlaib emphasizes this, her speech may serve a useful purpose.

[markie]

21. I trust Biden

to be good enough tonight... I got nothing against Rep. Tlaib, although tonight is for Biden, no others

[PatSeg]

30. Yes, tonight is the President's night

to report on the State of the Union and lay out goals for the future. Hopefully the congresswoman will not become the headline.

[rogue emissary]

23. Just like to point out that the WFP copied Harris presidential color scheme

And font to make this announcement.

I remember when DU thought it looked ugly and unimaginative.

[bigtree]

29. candidate Harris adopted her yellow/purple colors from Shirley Chisholm's run

https://www.history.com/news/shirley-chisholm-career-milestones

[rogue emissary]

31. Indeed.

Pretty sure the WFP have never praised Harris, like she praised Chisholm.

She also made a point of saying she used Chisholm design as her inspiration.

[bigtree]

33. oh, noes!!!

...

[rogue emissary]

35. What?

[bigtree]

36. I nearly fainted dead away with righteous indignation

Last edited Tue Mar 1, 2022, 09:25 PM - Edit history (2)

...fine now.

[Vinca]

25. She's taking the spotlight off Biden. You don't give "rebuttal" speeches if you have nothing

to rebut. I'm happy she supports Biden and isn't intending to trash him, but this seems inappropriate.

[bigtree]

26. no one should speak to the press afterward, in that case

...or just provide their opinions in careful whispers.

Co-equal branch of government. Respect her office.

[leftstreet]

32. It's a response, not a rebuttal

How can people not see this for what it is?

The response will overwhelmingly support Biden, and then introduce/remind people of the Democratic party's campaigning progressive goals that the "squad" members tweet about all the time. It will help Biden and the more centrist establishment's creds.

[obamanut2012]

34. I agree with you

[Demsrule86]

39. No it isn't.

[bigtree]

43. it's termed a 'response'

Not even Gottheimer - who, in an openly anti-Democratic event, will be speaking alongside Republican Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick - is calling it a rebuttal.

Josh Gottheimer says it's 'massively unproductive' for Rashida Tlaib to give a State of the Union response even though he's also giving one
https://www.businessinsider.com/josh-gottheimer-rashida-tlaib-biden-state-of-union-response-2022-3

[Nixie]

38. Exactly, it's implied she supports him like the rest of

Democrats, so leave it at that. From her comments here, it sounds like sour grapes that the BIF wasn’t held up longer. They need to accept reality and not beat this dead horse—-for Biden’s sake. Let’s help Biden.