Congresswoman Tlaib has represented the 13th district of Michigan, located within Wayne County and our conference host city Detroit, since January 2019. Ms. Tlaib is an advocate for social and economic justice who has used her experience serving Michigan’s communities to become a leading voice for low-income Americans on Capitol Hill.
Ms. Tlaib is deeply connected to the civil legal aid community. Before entering Congress, she worked at the Sugar Law Center for Economic and Social Justice, a Detroit nonprofit that provides free legal services and promotes fair treatment for all workers. Her work in that role included successfully advocating for a $50 million community benefits agreement related to the construction of a new bridge across the Detroit River and leading a campaign to protect residents after a pollutant called petroleum coke began accumulating on the riverfront and blowing into homes and public spaces.
The very first bill she introduced after her election to Congress would require federal investigation and regulation of petroleum coke. She has subsequently introduced legislation to protect consumers from discrimination based on their credit score, and proposed an amendment to the tax code that would create a new tax credit for lower-wage individuals.
Ms. Tlaib is the joint-first Muslim woman to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives. She also became the first Muslim woman to serve in the Michigan House of Representatives when she was elected in 2008, serving three terms in the Michigan legislature.