Michigan 12th District candidate Rashida Tlaib decries 'corporate greed', country's 'broken' refugee system

(FOX 2) - Detroit Democrat Rashida Tlaib denounced ‘corporate greed’ and the role that companies and America's richest citizens have played in the spiraling inequality in the U.S. during a recent interview.

"The cost of everything is up," the 13th District representative said. "Although the cost of living has increased, many of the salaries and incomes of our neighbors have not increased."

Tlaib is among four Democrats vying for the party's nomination in the state's new 12th District, which encompasses the western half of Detroit and Wayne County, which includes Dearborn, Westland, Redford, and Southfield in Oakland County.

She, along with Kelly Garrett, Shanelle Jackson, and Janice Winfrey all qualified for the district's primary race by the April deadline last week.

Tlaib carries a progressive brand into the race, having served two terms in Congress since 2019. She has often argued in favor of the country's wealthiest paying higher taxes to offset the deficit that continues to balloon. 

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The Democrat also accused gas companies of price gouging during periods of low fuel output. "Much of the increases in prices are driven by profits and corporate greed, which is a disease to policymaking," she said.

Gas prices, which have dropped over the past month following a historic rise in prices following conflict between Russia and Ukraine, just ticked back up over more uncertainty in the energy market. 

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She also railed against the country's refugee system, which, in the middle of another surge from Ukraine has struggled to admit more people seeking help.

"Even in a time of crisis it is not a system that has worked for folks that have been trying to seek asylum in our country," she said. 

Tlaib also added that the country's refugee infrastructure must be built not just for those fleeing Eastern Europe, but those in Yemen, Syria, and Haiti, who have also sought asylum in the U.S.

"I want the country to be welcoming to all refugees," she said.