Rashida Tlaib

Rashida Tlaib
Member of the
U.S. House of Representatives
from Michigan
Assumed office
January 3, 2019
Preceded byBrenda Jones
Constituency
Member of the Michigan House of Representatives
In office
January 1, 2009 – December 31, 2014
Preceded bySteve Tobocman
Succeeded byStephanie Chang
Constituency12th district (2009–2012)
6th district (2013–2014)
Personal details
Born
Rashida Harbi Elabed

(1976-07-24) July 24, 1976 (age 50)
Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Other political
affiliations		Democratic Socialists of America
Spouse(s)
Fayez Tlaib
​
​
(m. 1998; div. 2015)​
Children2
EducationWayne State University (BA)
Thomas M. Cooley Law School (JD)
Signature
WebsiteHouse website
Rashida Tlaib's voice
Speaking at the 2019 MPAC conference
Recorded November 2019

Rashida Harbi Tlaib (née Elabed; born July 24, 1976) is an American lawyer and politician. She has served in the United States House of Representatives since 2019. Since 2023, she has represented Michigan's 12th congressional district. She is a member of the Democratic Party.

Tlaib is the first Palestinian American woman elected to Congress. She is also one of the first two Muslim women elected to Congress, along with Ilhan Omar.

Early life and education

Tlaib was born Rashida Harbi Elabed in Detroit, Michigan. She is the oldest of 14 children and helped care for her younger brothers and sisters while growing up.

She graduated from Southwestern High School in Detroit in 1994. She later earned a bachelor's degree in political science from Wayne State University in 1998. In 2004, she received a law degree from Thomas M. Cooley Law School. She became a lawyer in Michigan in 2007.

Early political career

Tlaib began working in politics in 2004 as an intern for Michigan State Representative Steve Tobocman. In 2008, she was elected to the Michigan House of Representatives. She became the first Muslim woman to serve in the Michigan Legislature.

After leaving the state legislature in 2014 because of term limits, she worked as a lawyer at the Sugar Law Center, a nonprofit legal organization in Detroit.

U.S. House of Representatives

In 2018, Tlaib was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. She became the first Palestinian American woman elected to Congress.

She is a member of The Squad, an informal group of progressive Democratic members of Congress. She is also a member of the Democratic Socialists of America.

Tlaib has supported policies including:

She voted to impeach President Donald Trump in both 2019 and 2021.

Israel and Palestine

Tlaib has often criticized the Israeli government. She has described Israel as an apartheid state and supports the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement. She has also supported a one-state solution to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict and has called for ending U.S. military aid to Israel.

After the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel and the Gaza war, Tlaib called for a ceasefire and criticized U.S. support for Israel. Some of her public statements, including her use of the phrase "from the river to the sea", led to criticism from both Republicans and Democrats.

On November 7, 2023, the House of Representatives voted to censure Tlaib. The resolution accused her of promoting false statements about the October 7 attack and of using language that supporters of the resolution said called for the destruction of Israel. Tlaib rejected these claims and said the phrase was a call for freedom, human rights, and peaceful coexistence.

Personal life

Tlaib married Fayez Tlaib in 1998. They have two sons and later divorced.

She is a Muslim and has spoken publicly about how her faith has influenced her life and political work.

References

  1. ↑ Schallhorn, Kaitlyn (August 8, 2018). "Meet Rashida Tlaib, who is poised to become the first Muslim woman elected to Congress". Fox News. Archived from the original on September 27, 2018. Retrieved August 26, 2018.
  2. ↑ "Member Profile". State Bar of Michigan. Archived from the original on 2018-08-09. Retrieved 2018-08-08.
  3. ↑ "Rashida Tlaib - Politics, Career & Facts". Biography. 2021-04-20. Retrieved 2026-06-07.
  4. ↑ Warikoo, Niraj (December 14, 2008). "Disparate backgrounds source of bond". Detroit Free Press. Archived from the original on February 23, 2014. Retrieved February 12, 2014. — Full version at Archived December 14, 2018, at the Wayback Machine the blog of Niraj Warikoo
  5. ↑ "Wayne State University School of Social Work honoring outstanding alumni March 23". Today@Wayne. February 14, 2012. Archived from the original on November 15, 2020. Retrieved May 15, 2018.
  6. ↑ "Alumni Elected Officials". www.cooley.edu. Archived from the original on March 28, 2019. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
  7. ↑ Najm, Zeinab (September 1, 2018). "Rashida Tlaib poised to become first Muslim congresswoman". downriversundaytimes.com. Times-Herald Newspapers. Archived from the original on November 15, 2020. Retrieved October 1, 2019.
  8. ↑ "Member Profile". State Bar of Michigan. Archived from the original on August 9, 2018. Retrieved August 8, 2018.
  9. ↑ Burke, Melissa Nann (February 6, 2018). "Dem would be first Muslim woman in Congress, if elected". The Detroit News. Archived from the original on March 11, 2019. Retrieved August 26, 2018.
  10. ↑ Holcomb, Anne (November 6, 2008). "Rashida Tlaib is first Muslim woman to be elected to Michigan Legislature". MLive.com. Archived from the original on January 25, 2019. Retrieved August 26, 2018.
  11. ↑ O'Brien, Maeve (March 15, 2018). "24 hours with: Rashida Tlaib, potential first Muslim congresswoman". The Michigan Daily. Archived from the original on August 14, 2019. Retrieved November 9, 2018.
  12. ↑ Astead W. Herndon, Rashida Tlaib, With Primary Win, Is Poised to Become First Muslim Woman in Congress, New York Times (August 8, 2018).
  13. ↑ "With primary win, Rashida Tlaib set to become first Palestinian-American congresswoman - U.S. News". Haaretz. Haaretz.com. Archived from the original on 2019-05-06. Retrieved 2018-08-08.
  14. ↑ "There Will Now Likely Be Two Democratic Socialists of America Members in Congress". The Daily Beast. 2018-08-08. Retrieved 2018-08-08.
  15. ↑ "Rashida's profile is the Palestinian United States Congressman". Aktualita.co. 2019-01-09. Retrieved 2019-07-14.
  16. ↑ D; e; i; r; d; r; e; W; a (2019-01-04). "Profane Impeachment Call From Freshman Democrat Gets Quick Rebuke From Top Democrats". NPR. Retrieved 2026-07-24.
  17. ↑ "Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib Statement on the 2nd Impeachment of Donald Trump". Rashida Tlaib. Retrieved 2026-07-24.
  18. ↑ "Rep. Rashida Tlaib defends BDS and says she would boycott Muslim countries too". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. 2019-07-29. Retrieved 2026-07-24.
  19. ↑ "Reps. Ramirez, Bush, Tlaib, Carson, Lee Lead Colleagues in Call for Immediate Ceasefire | Representative Delia Ramirez". ramirez.house.gov. 2023-10-16. Retrieved 2026-07-24.
  20. ↑ Sales, Ben (2023-11-08). "'From the river to the sea': The slogan that led to Rashida Tlaib's censure, explained". The Times of Israel. ISSN 0040-7909. Retrieved 2026-07-24.
  21. ↑ Alfaro, Mariana; Wang, Amy B.; Vazquez, Maegan (2023-11-06). "Tlaib draws criticism from fellow Democrats with comments about Israel, Palestinians". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2026-07-24.
  22. ↑ "House votes to censure Rep. Rashida Tlaib over her Israel-Hamas rhetoric". www.pbs.org. Retrieved 2026-07-24.
  23. ↑ Guo, Kayla (2023-11-07). "House Censures Rashida Tlaib, Citing 'River to the Sea' Slogan". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2026-07-24.
  24. ↑ Amiri, Farnoush (2023-11-07). "House votes to censure Rep. Rashida Tlaib over her Israel-Hamas rhetoric in a stunning rebuke". AP News. Retrieved 2026-07-24.
  25. ↑ "Tlaib Calls for Peaceful Coexistence Between Israelis and Palestinians". Rashida Tlaib. Retrieved 2026-07-24.
  26. ↑ "Biography: Rashida Tlaib". Biography: Rashida Tlaib. Retrieved 2026-07-24.
  27. ↑ "Meet Rashida Tlaib, the first Palestinian congresswoman in the US". South China Morning Post. 2024-05-15. Retrieved 2026-07-24.
  28. ↑ "Trailblazing Tlaib Elected to Historic Role". cooley.edu. Retrieved 2026-07-24.
  29. ↑ "About Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib". Rashida Tlaib. Retrieved 2026-07-24.

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