Aug 16, 2020 - Politics & Policy

Rashida Tlaib votes against Democratic Party platform and for Sanders

Rep. Rashida Tlaib speaks before Democratic presidential hopeful Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders addresses his supporters during a campaign rally  in Detroit, Michigan, on March 6

Rep. Rashida Tlaib at a March campaign event for Sen. Bernie Sanders in Detroit, Michigan. Photo: Jeff Kowalsky/AFP via Getty Images

Rep. Rashida Tlaib announced in a Twitter post Saturday night that she voted against the Democratic Party's 2020 platform and nominated for president Sen. Bernie Sanders, who suspended his campaign in April.

Why it matters: Democratic activists are pressing the DNC and former Vice President Joe Biden to enact bold policies and transform the party into a political force they feel meets the political moment, Axios' Alexi McCammond notes. Tlaib said she voted no to the platform, which is expected to pass, because it doesn't include a plan for a single-payer health care system. "We need a platform that works to rid our society of oppression and greed," she added. "[T]his platform does not do enough."

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