U.S Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI-13) formally endorsed Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) for president during a campaign rally on Sunday, joining two others from the progressive trio known as the “squad” in backing the Democratic candidate.
“We deserve someone who writes the damn bills,” Tlaib said at the rally at Cass Technical High School on Sunday night. “We deserve Bernie Sanders.”
The two other members of the “squad” — U.S. Rep Ilhan Omar (D-MN-5) and U.S Rep Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY-14) — have previously endorsed Sanders. Omar endorsed Sanders after the most recent Democrat debate in Ohio earlier this month and Ocasio-Cortez formally endorsed him at a rally in New York a few days after.
The Sanders campaign also released a video of Tlaib giving her endorsement.
“He’s not going to sell us out,” Tlaib said in the video. “He understands that it’s not just about policies and about words, but it’s also going to be about completely transforming the structures in place that are hurting American people.”
Tlaib referred to Sanders as “Amo Bernie” in the video, adding that “amo” means uncle in Arabic.
“It’s been incredibly inspiring to see his unwavering support for the same ideals that I have about people over profits,” Tlaib said.
The Michigan representative said in the video that while her family has never been unified in politics, “Amo Bernie seems to be able to unite us.”
Sanders is working to regain momentum after temporarily suspending his campaign activity because of a heart attack almost a month ago. He reassured voters at the rally that he is doing well.
Tlaib also took Sanders on a tour of “corporate greed” in Detroit ahead of the rally. She took the Vermont senator the Fort Street Bridge in southwest Detroit that home Marathon Oil, as well as to Little Caesar’s Arena. Both received millions in tax incentives for locating or expanding in the area.
Tlaib and Sanders also visited Brightmoor Food Pantry. The pantry is currently running low on water because so many Detroit residents are unable to pay their water bills.
“Here in this campaign, we hear the word socialism a lot. Well, what this is a perfect example of is socialism for billionaires, massive amounts of subsidies and tax breaks,” Sanders said, while visiting the Brightmoor pantry, the Detroit Free Press reported. “But for children, there’s not enough money for a decent education and for poor people, there’s not an ability to get clean drinking water.”
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Jordyn Pair is a reporter with Battleground State News and The Michigan Star. Follow her on Twitter at @JordynPair. Email her at [email protected].
[…] debt, but she isn’t listed as a cosponsor of the companion legislation in the House. Tlaib endorsed Sanders in October in the Democratic presidential […]
[…] debt, but she isn’t listed as a cosponsor of the companion legislation in the House. Tlaib endorsed Sanders in October in the Democratic presidential […]