Video: Rashida Tlaib claims her bill to end federal prisons would not 'just release everybody.' Axios fact-checks her to her face, points out her bill will do just that



Progressive "Squad" member Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) reiterated her support for legislation that would empty federal prisons within 10 years in a recent interview, appearing to be dismissive of the potential ramifications of that policy.

On Sunday's episode of "Axios on HBO," reporter Jonathan Swan asked the Democratic lawmaker about her support for the BREATHE Act, a sweeping far-left reform bill written by the Movement for Black Lives that would defund federal law enforcement and the prison system. The proposal would also abolish life sentences, abolish mandatory minimum sentencing laws, abolish Immigration and Customs Enforcement, cut the Department of Defense budget, and repeal the bipartisan 1994 crime bill.

"The BREATHE Act proposes emptying federal detention facilities within 10 years. To what extent have you wrestled with any potential downsides of releasing into society every single person who's currently in a federal prison?" Swan asked.

"Yeah, again, I think that everyone's like, 'OMG we're going to just release everybody.' That's not what I'm saying," Tlaib replied.

"That's what it says!" Swan protested, observing that the legislation calls for closing federal prisons.

"Yeah, but did you see how many people are mentally ill that are in prison right now?" Tlaib said, dismissing his point.

Swan then pressed her on the fact that the bill she endorsed says everyone gets released, including human traffickers and child sex predators, not just mentally ill people.

"Oh, I know," Tlaib said while denying that she supports the blanket release of people from federal prison.

"What I'm saying is look at who's in prison right now. No, look at the folks that are mentally ill, that have substance abuse problems."

.@jonathanvswan presses Rep. Tlaib on backing a bill to end federal prisons: To what extent have you wrestled w/ potential downsides? \n\nTlaib: I think everyone's like, oh my god, we're going to just release everybody.\n\nSwan: But the act you endorsed actually says release everyonepic.twitter.com/ZBX3T9wxQy
— Axios (@Axios) 1637596854

"I'm not disagreeing with you that there are people who shouldn't be in prison," Swan said before Tlaib interrupted him.

"Yeah, but then why aren't you asking me about them? You're asking me about human traffickers and others that should stay [in prison]."

"What I'm trying to understand, because it is such a sweeping concrete proposal, do you believe that there are still categories of people who should be behind bars?" Swan asked.

"There are absolutely folks that — I don't under— you know, I don't know," Tlaib responded. "Because right now, the way the prison system was supposed to be like rehabilitary [sic], you know, it's supposed to be rehabilitation, right? ... I don't think there's any rehabilitation happening right now."

"Do you think all people can be rehabilitated?" Swan asked in a follow-up question.

"I don't think so. I've been very clear about that. And I only tell you that because, as somebody that has worked in the legal field and others, I don't even know if our society would even know how to be able to rehabilitate every single person that wants to harm people," Tlaib answered.

She added that what concerns her are statistics showing that many people who were incarcerated at a young age were put in prison with mental health or other issues and don't receive rehabilitative care that might keep them from re-offending. For instance, researchers in one study that examined prison populations found that about 7% of prison population growth from 1980 to 2000 — about 40,000 to 72,000 people — would have likely been placed in mental institutions in the past.

As for those that should remain behind bars, Tlaib said, "I would have to look at each case individually and figure that all out."

BLM founder calls for Biden to sign radical legislation to 'abandon police, prisons, and punishment paradigms'



Patrisse Cullors, one of the three co-founders of the Black Lives Matter organization, is calling for Joe Biden to enact far-left legislation that would lead to the abolition of police and prisons, and other radical proposals.

In July, Democratic Reps. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan and Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts announced the BREATHE Act, a sweeping far-left piece of legislation that aims to bring revolutionary change to the United States. The proposal has not been brought before Congress as of yet.

The drastic legislation calls for the end of life sentences, as well as all mandatory minimum sentencing laws. In a Teen Vogue article, Cullors wrote that the act would "put us on the road to police and prison abolition." The BREATHE Act demands the dismantling of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Customs and Border Protection, and immigration detention centers. The legislation also demands the repeal of federal laws that "criminalize human movement and border entry."

The BREATHE Act calls for "repealing and replacing the 1994 Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act," which "Biden, as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, largely wrote and shepherded through the legislative process."

The BREATHE Act would create a commission to study reparations proposals for African Americans, based on "mass criminalization – including the War on Drugs, the criminalization of prostitution, and police violence; border violence; and the systemic violation of the U.S. Government's treaty obligations to Tribal nations."

"Eliminating surveillance tactics that are disproportionately used to target Black, Brown, and Muslim communities by prohibiting predictive policing, racial recognition technologies, drones, and similar tools," the BREATHE Act states. "Eliminating the use of electronic monitoring, including ankle monitors, smartphone applications, and any other tool used to track location."

The legislation calls for the removal of all police, school resource officers, and armed security from schools, plus the metal detectors and surveillance equipment would be banned.

Public school systems would be required to develop curricula that examines "the political, economic, and social impacts of colonialism, genocide against indigenous people, and slavery."

"The creation of comprehensive health centers that offer culturally competent services for all people, including services related to reproductive health," the BREATHE Act states.

The proposal requests job programs "that specifically target the most economically disadvantaged individuals, including Black cis- and trans women, formerly incarcerated people, undocumented people, and disabled people."

The legislation also calls for politicians to develop a plan for developing "100% of the State power demand using clean, renewable, and zero-emission energy sources."

The BREATHE Act is a "project" by the Movement for Black Lives, a coalition of more than 150 organizations.

Cullors, a self-described "trained Marxist," called the BREATHE Act a "landmark civil rights bill," and wants the "next Presidential administration to prioritize the passing" of the legislation.

Cullors told The Hollywood Reporter, "We are requesting that — in the first 100 days — the Biden-Harris administration works to pass this legislation."

"This moment is a watershed moment," Cullors said. "I think this moment calls for structural change and transformative change in ways that we haven't seen in a very long time. We see this opportunity to push for the BREATHE Act as a part of what we're calling the modern-day civil rights act."

When asked about the 2020 presidential election, Cullors said, "Black people — especially Black women — have saved the United States. Whether in Milwaukee, Detroit, Philadelphia, Atlanta, or Los Angeles, Black voters showed up in huge numbers to turn this country around and remove the racist in the White House."