Why We "Defend Rashida"

 

Rashida Tlaib is up for re-election in a new district in Michigan this year. It's a great time to reflect on what it means more generally to have a democratic socialist in congress and why "Defend Rashida" has become so important to Detroit DSA. 

When determining the value in any elected official the first thing you should start with is what that elected position actually does. For a member of congress it's clear; they vote on legislation, they propose (and ideally pass) legislation, they sit on committees, and they participate in hearings. There are a lot of other things a congressional office might do, constituency work and the like, but those are the four big pillars. 

Some folks in Detroit DSA will point out that Rashida has never said explicitly that she is a socialist and defined what that term means to her. This might be largely true, but she has never shied away from the term, allowing herself to be identified that way by a large number of outlets. She is also an open member of the org and talks about it, something other endorsed and wannabe-endorsed candidates haven't quite committed to. 

Whenever a Democratic Socialists of America chapter makes the decision to endorse they expect their values to be bannered to the seats of power. This includes not only the day-to-day exercise of that power but also the media appearances and national spotlight that comes with it. This helps grow the power of the organization more broadly, gives a voice to members, and helps advance the Democratic Socialist agenda.

What does it look like when a Detroit DSA member brings socialist values to the four pillars of legislating on the national level? It looks a lot like what Rashida Tlaib does. 

Voting on Legislation

Rashida mostly votes with her party, this can be good or bad for a variety of reasons. However, her stand-out votes are what set her apart from the blind partisans and show her commitment to socialist values. 

Tlaib was one of 3 'nay' votes on the COPS Counseling Act - prioritizing counseling for police officers as some sort of reform - which was tastelessly introduced just one month after Derek Chauvin was put on trial. She has voted against defense funding bills including the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 and the infamous Emergency Resupply for IRON DOME Act of 2021 (with fellow DSA Member Alexandria Ocasio Cortez offering merely a 'present' vote). In a sense, she votes exactly how Democratic Socialists would want a representative to vote.

Proposing/Passing Legislation

Rashida has been a primary sponsor of 2 enacted bills and has proposed 41 total. If two doesn't sound like a lot, consider how few bills are ever enacted and that Tlaib is still a very early legislator. There are some legislators who serve long careers and only pass a handful of bills. 

Tlaib was the primary sponsor of the H.R. 9050 Amendment  (previously known as the BOOST act) that provided additional recovery in the form of $2000 tax credits + $600 for every additional child (yes, this was the $2000 check that you got). The other bill she proposed that was enacted was the Payee Fraud Prevention Act which prohibits those who receive payments for minors or people with disabilities from embezzling funds through a loophole. Many more bills she submitted were designed around public health, consumer protection, standing against facial recognition technology, establishing things like water as a human right, and public banking.

Sitting on Committees 

Rashida Tlaib sits on 3 committees; House Committee on Financial Services, House Committee on Natural Resources, and the House Committee on Oversight and Reform. These committees are responsible for issues like banking, housing, insurance, regulation, energy production, mining, oceans, and government accountability. Rashida's presence in these committees allows her to bring socialist values to an important spate of issues. 

In these committees, Rashida gets to participate in hearings (which we'll cover more in the next section) and advocate for legislation. Listen to the language she extolls in advocating for her environmental justice bill, it's absolutely brimming with the spirit of Democratic Socialism.

Sitting on Hearings:

Legislators sit on hearings on important issues either in their committees or the general chamber depending on where the committee is called. The idea is for representatives of the public to ask tough questions of stakeholders in any given issue on behalf of their constituency. To see why having a socialist in these hearings is important one simply needs to watch Rashida at work.

Rashida Tlaib on civil asset forfeiture: 

Here is Rashida going in on a hedge fund CEO in a Financial Services committee meeting:

(start at 2:26)

Rashida asking the census bureau director about the lack of Middle-Eastern/North African representation on the form:

In large part thanks to her political stances Rashida Tlaib is constantly under attack. Whether it's challenges mounted by Duggan-backed establishment candidates or the racist trolling at the mere mention of her name on social media. She's even received death threats.

https://inthesetimes.com/article/rashida-tlaib-democratic-socialism-palestine-israel-michigan

It's clear Rashida sees the DSA as a family, she has spoken at a large number of Metro-Detroit DSA events, even skipped the opening night of the Auto-show in 2019 to protest the closure of the GM plants impacting workers led by the organization. 

It's equally as important for Metro-Detroit DSA to live up to its end of the partnership and "Defend Rashida" every chance we get.