Rashida Tlaib facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Rashida Tlaib
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رشيدة طليب
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Official portrait, 2024
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| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Michigan |
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| Assumed office January 3, 2019 |
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| Preceded by | Brenda Jones |
| Constituency |
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| Member of the Michigan House of Representatives | |
| In office January 1, 2009 – December 31, 2014 |
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| Preceded by | Steve Tobocman |
| Succeeded by | Stephanie Chang |
| Constituency | 12th district (2009–2012) 6th district (2013–2014) |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Rashida Harbi
July 24, 1976 Detroit, Michigan, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Other political affiliations |
Democratic Socialists of America |
| Spouse |
Fayez Tlaib
(m. 1998; div. 2015) |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | Wayne State University (BA) Thomas M. Cooley Law School (JD) |
| Signature |  |
Rashida Harbi Tlaib (born July 24, 1976) is an American lawyer and politician. She has been a U.S. Representative for Michigan since 2019. She represents Michigan's 12th congressional district since 2023.
Tlaib is a member of the Democratic Party. She is the first Palestinian American woman to serve in Congress. She is also one of the first two Muslim women elected to Congress, along with Ilhan Omar.
Contents
Her Early Life and School
Rashida Harbi was born on July 24, 1976, in Detroit, Michigan. She was the oldest of 14 children. Her parents were Palestinian immigrants who worked hard. Her mother was from a village near Ramallah in the West Bank. Her father was from East Jerusalem and worked at a Ford Motor Company plant. As the oldest, Rashida helped raise her younger brothers and sisters.
She went to Southwestern High School in Detroit and finished in 1994. Later, she earned a degree in political science from Wayne State University in 1998. She then studied law at Thomas M. Cooley Law School, getting her law degree in 2004. She became a lawyer in Michigan in 2007.
Starting in Politics: Michigan House
Rashida Tlaib started her political journey in 2004. She worked as an intern for State Representative Steve Tobocman. In 2007, when Tobocman became a leader in the Michigan House, he hired her to work on his team.
In 2008, Tobocman encouraged Tlaib to run for his seat in the Michigan House of Representatives. He could not run again because of term limits. Tlaib won the election, getting 44% of the votes in a busy primary election. She then won the general election with more than 90% of the votes.
She was re-elected in 2010 and 2012. In 2014, she could not run for the Michigan House again due to term limits. She tried to run for the Michigan Senate but did not win.
Tlaib made history as the first Muslim woman to serve in the Michigan State Legislature. After leaving the state legislature, she worked at a non-profit organization in Detroit that helps workers with legal issues.
Becoming a U.S. Representative
Winning Elections
In 2018, Rashida Tlaib decided to run for the United States House of Representatives. She ran for Michigan's 13th congressional district. She won the Democratic primary election.
In the general election in November 2018, she did not face a major opponent. On Election Day, Rashida Tlaib became the first Palestinian-American woman to be elected to Congress.
In 2020, she was challenged in the Democratic primary but won with 66% of the votes. She won the general election easily. In 2022, after district boundaries changed, she ran for Michigan's new 12th congressional district. She won the primary with 64% of the vote and the general election with 71%. In 2024, she won a third term in Congress.
On January 3, 2019, Tlaib took her oath of office for Congress. She used an English translation of the Quran. She wore a traditional embroidered Arab dress called a thawb (thobe) for the ceremony. This inspired many Palestinian and Palestinian-American women to share pictures of their thobes online.
What She Does in Congress
Tlaib is one of the first two Muslim women in Congress, along with Ilhan Omar. She is also a member of "The Squad". This is a group of U.S. Representatives who are on the left side of the Democratic Party.
In 2019, Israel said Tlaib and Ilhan Omar would not be allowed to enter the country. Israel later offered to let Tlaib visit her relatives in the Israeli-occupied West Bank under certain rules. Tlaib decided not to go, saying she did not want to visit "under these oppressive conditions."
In November 2019, the House Ethics Committee looked into whether Tlaib used campaign money for personal things. In August 2020, the committee asked her to pay back $10,800 to her campaign. They said she must follow rules about how campaign money is used.
In November 2023, the House of Representatives voted to censure Tlaib. This means the House formally disapproved of her. The resolution accused her of "promoting false narratives" about the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel and for calling for the destruction of Israel. Tlaib said her statements were misunderstood. She said she wanted a ceasefire and that "The cries of the Palestinian and Israeli children sound no different to me."
Important Committees
Rashida Tlaib serves on several important committees in the U.S. House of Representatives:
- Committee on Financial Services
- Subcommittee on Diversity and Inclusion
- Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations
- Committee on Natural Resources
- Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands
- Committee on Oversight and Reform
Groups She Belongs To
She is also part of several groups in Congress, called caucuses:
- Congressional Progressive Caucus
- Congressional Freethought Caucus
- Congressional Caucus for the Equal Rights Amendment
- Rare Disease Caucus
Her Political Ideas
Tlaib is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America. She supports ideas that are on the left side of the Democratic Party.
Views on the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
Tlaib has strong views on the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. She supports the Palestinian right of return and a one-state solution. She is one of the few members of Congress who openly supports the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel. She believes boycotting is a right and a way to respond to Israel's actions in the West Bank.
Other Important Ideas
Tlaib supports domestic changes like Medicare for All, which would create a healthcare system where the government pays for everyone's healthcare. She also supports raising the minimum wage to $18 to $20 per hour.
She has talked about changing how immigration agencies work. She was an early supporter of the idea to change the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency.
Tlaib has also discussed changing how policing and prisons work. She has said that American policing is "inherently and intentionally racist." She believes different approaches are needed for public safety.
She voted to impeach President Donald Trump in both 2019 and 2021.
About Her Life
In 1998, Rashida Tlaib married Fayez Tlaib. They have two sons. They later divorced. In 2018, a spokesperson said she was a single mother.
Tlaib is a Muslim. She believes her actions reflect her faith.
Images for kids
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Rashida Tlaib's signature
