World News | Rashida Tlaib Delivers Fiery Progressive Response to Biden's First State of the Union Address

Washington, Mar 2 (PTI) In a highly unusual move straying far from political protocol, Democratic Representative Rashida Tlaib delivered a progressive response to Democrat US President Joe Biden's first State of the Union address, calling for student loan debt forgiveness and passage of the Build Back Better Act.

In his widely-anticipated address on Tuesday, Biden pledged to check Russian aggression in Ukraine, tame soaring US inflation and deal with the COVID-19 pandemic

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Tlaib's response, which was delivered on behalf of the Working Families Party (WFP), touched on several of the key topics Biden addressed during his speech to Congress on Tuesday.

"With the majority of the Build Back Better agenda stalled, Mr. President, our work is unfinished. We are ready to jumpstart our work again," said the 45-year-old Michigan Democrat.

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Tlaib's speech detailed a progressive political vision for the future, from lowering prescription drug costs to making major investments in tackling climate change and enshrining abortion access, the National Public Radio reported.

Tlaib, born to Palestinian immigrants in Detroit, said Biden could use his executive powers "now" to cancel student loan debt and regulate carbon emissions. She praised Biden for taking action to get "shots in arms" and delivering "emergency relief" after taking office, saying he "stopped what could have been an economic freefall.

Regarding the Russia-Ukraine conflict, which loomed large in Biden's speech, Tlaib said, "Over the past few days, we have all watched in horror as Russia launched an illegal and unjustifiable invasion of Ukraine. We stand with the people of Ukraine."

She said the US and its allies must work together towards an immediate ceasefire and diplomatic resolution to help save lives.

"We must pursue targeted sanctions that put pressure on Russia's billionaires, not the everyday Russians who have no choice in this conflict and are courageously protesting the war as we speak. We need a humanitarian response to this crisis. We must welcome Ukrainian refugees from all walks of life to the United States,"

Tlaib was quoted as saying by Fox News.

Tlaib also urged Biden to tackle domestic issues such as the war on drugs, criminal justice reform and affordable child care.

"No one fought harder for President Biden's agenda than progressives. We rallied together with our supporters, held town halls in our communities, engaged new people, and we even played hardball in Congress. But two forces stood in the way: a Republican Party that serves only the rich and the powerful and just enough corporate-backed Democratic obstructionists to help them succeed," she said.

Tlaib's speech underscores the divide among progressives and moderates in the Democratic party as they forge ahead on Biden's agenda as the party gears up for a midterm election cycle in which it's expected to lose seats.

Typically, members of the president's party do not give distinct responses to the state of the union and instead issue statements of support so that the focus remains on the party's leader.

But in a tweet ahead of Biden's address, Tlaib pushed back on coverage that her speech indicates a schism between progressives' agenda and that of the president.

"Despite some sensational coverage, it's simple: I'm giving a speech about supporting President Biden and his Build Back Better agenda for the people," she wrote.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)