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."

AOC says 'wokeness' is a term 'almost exclusively used by older people,' throwing shade at James Carville



Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) blasted the use of the term "wokeness" to describe progressivism, saying those like veteran Democratic strategist James Carville who argue the Democrats lost big in last Tuesday's elections because the party is too "woke" are using language "almost exclusively used by older people."

"How can news outlets even attribute words to me I didn't say," asked Ocasio-Cortez in a tweet linking to a WSET-TV report that claimed she said Democratic candidate Terry McAuliffe lost the Virginia gubernatorial race because he wasn't "woke" enough.

"I said there are limits to trying to mobilize a campaign with a 100% moderate strategy without mobilizing the base. Said nothing [about] 'wokeness' which is a term almost exclusively used by older people these days [by the way]," she wrote.

How can news outlets even attribute words to me I didn\u2019t say?\n\nI said there are limits to trying to mobilize a campaign with a 100% moderate strategy without mobilizing the base. Said nothing abt \u201cwokeness\u201d which is a term almost exclusively used by older people these days btwhttps://twitter.com/abc13news/status/1456642083524071431\u00a0\u2026

— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) 1636128175

Continuing, the democratic-socialist lawmaker said the only people using the word "woke" are Carville and "Fox News pundits," implying that term is targeted towards a right-wing audience and Democrats shouldn't be concerned about it.

"And before people disingenuously complain 'woke' is denigrating to older people, it's actually pundits like Carville using terms like 'woke' to insult voters under 45 that's denigrating," Ocasio-Cortez added, disparaging Carville, the lead strategist for the 1992 campaign that put then-Arkansas Gov. Bill Clinton in the White House, as a mere "pundit."

"Don't wonder why youth turnout falls when Dems talk about them like this. We need everyone," she said.

And before people disingenuously complain \u201cwoke\u201d is denigrating to older people, it\u2019s actually pundits like Carville using terms like \u201cwoke\u201d to insult voters under 45 that\u2019s denigrating.\n\nDon\u2019t wonder why youth turnout falls when Dems talk about them like this. We need everyone.

— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) 1636129097

Days ago, Carville spoke to "PBS Newshour" about Tuesday's elections and blamed "stupid wokeness" for Democrats losing in Virginia and progressives severely underperforming elsewhere.

"I mean, this 'defund the police' lunacy, this take Abraham Lincoln's name off of schools. I mean that — people see that," Carville said. "And it really has a suppressive effect on all across the country on Democrats. Some of these people need to go to a woke detox center or something."

Republicans won competitive district attorney races in Long Island, New York and increased a GOP legislative majority in Niagara County. In New York City and in Minneapolis, Minnesota mayoral candidates that rejected the "defund the police" movement claimed victory.

In Seattle, a law-and-order Republican won a race for city attorney, defeating a radical left-wing former public defender who described herself as a police abolitionist.

Carville's point is that the Democratic Party is losing touch with voters by becoming preoccupied with niche racial and social justice politics.

Ocasio-Cortez, on the other hand, argued after the elections that the Democratic Party did not do enough to embrace its far-left element and failed to rally support for a progressive agenda.

"I know that Virginia was a huge bummer," Ocasio-Cortez said in an Instagram video. "And honestly, if anything, I think that the results show the limits of trying to run a fully 100% super moderated campaign that does not excite speak to or energize a progressive base and frankly, we weren't even really invited to contribute on that race."

She nailed it. Take her advice Democrats - McAuliff wasn\u2019t progressive or woke enough. So in the midterms only follow AOC\u2019s model. Run the MOST woke and progressive in the land. And make sure to tell parents they\u2019re racist and shouldn\u2019t be involved in their kids education again.https://twitter.com/bennyjohnson/status/1456262697973026825\u00a0\u2026

— Meghan McCain (@MeghanMcCain) 1636036027

She accused moderate Democrats of enabling "race-baiting" by Republicans, saying the moderates' strategy "demoralizes the base you're supposed to protect and turn out while also ceding white swing voters to the right w/ inadequate responses or silence."

Senate Republicans introduce resolution to condemn anti-Semitism and denounce incendiary language from House Dems



Republican senators on Tuesday introduced a resolution to condemn the recent rise in hateful violence committed against American Jews and denounce "poisonous rhetoric" from progressive lawmakers who have spoken out against Israel amid renewed conflict in the Middle East.

Sens. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), and 11 of their GOP colleagues co-sponsored the resolution, which condemns hatred and violence against Jews at home and around the world and denounces recent anti-Israel rhetoric from Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), Cori Bush (D-Mo.), and Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), though those progressive lawmakers are not named.

"In recent weeks, Jewish people in the United States have been threatened and physically assaulted in nearly 200 documented attacks since the start of the most recent conflict between Israel and Palestine," the Republicans said in a press statement.

"The horrific spike in anti-Semitic violence and crimes in the United States and around the world serves as reminder that hateful rhetoric and lies can quickly turn into violence," Rubio said. "We must be very clear that this ancient evil has no place in our society and ensure America's Jewish communities are protected."

Hawley added that "hateful anti-Israel rhetoric from politicians and the media" inspires the "sickening" violence against Jews.

"We must ensure that Jewish people receive the full protection of law owed to them as citizens of the United States," he said.

The text of the resolution cites preliminary findings from the Anti-Defamation League that found at least 193 reports of possible anti-Semitic attacks in the U.S. from May 7-14, the first week of renewed violence between Israel and Hamas. It also calls attention to several specific examples of disgusting attacks on Jews by pro-Palestinian activists in recent weeks, including incidents in New York City and Los Angeles.

The resolution also refers to and denounces recent anti-Israel statements from several Democratic members of Congress. It quotes, for example, Ilhan Omar calling Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu an ''ethno-nationalist" on the floor of the House of Representatives and a tweet she sent accusing Israel of war crimes.

Other "poisonous anti-Israel rhetoric" cited includes Rashida Tlaib's declaration that Palestinian "babies, children and their parents" were "being massacred" by Israel, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's statement describing Israel as an "apartheid state," and Cori Bush's tweet accusing Israel of "ethnic cleansing."

Further, the Republicans want the Senate to reject "the biased, incomplete, and inaccurate information promulgated by the news media in the United States about Israel and the Government of Israel's efforts to protect its citizens from terrorism."

The resolution is co-sponsored by GOP Sens. Rick Scott (Fla.), Mike Braun (Ind.), Thom Tillis (N.C.), Joni Ernst (Iowa), Ted Cruz (Texas), John Kennedy (La.), Roger Marshall (Kan.), Steve Daines (Mont.), Kevin Cramer (N.D.), Marsha Blackburn (Tenn.), Mike Crapo (Idaho), Bill Hagerty (Tenn.), and Bill Cassidy (La.).

Democratic leadership in Congress has condemned the anti-Semitic attacks against Jews, but so far remained silent on the anti-Israel statements made by Democrats in the House. Given the Democrats' apparent hesitance to condemn elected members of their own party, it is unlikely the GOP resolution will find bipartisan support in the Senate.