White House pushes back at Rashida Tlaib prison stand

Sign up for our daily briefingMake your busy days simpler with Axios AM/PM. Catch up on what’s new and why it matters in just 5 minutes.Catch up on the day’s biggest business storiesSubscribe to Axios Closer for insights into the day’s business news and trends and why they matterSign up for Axios Pro RataDive into the world of dealmakers across VC, PE and M&A with Axios Pro Rata. Delivered daily to your inbox by Dan Primack and Kia Kokalitcheva.Sports news worthy of your timeBinge on the stats and stories that drive the sports world with Axios Sports. Sign up for free.Tech news worthy of your timeGet our smart take on technology from the Valley and D.C. with Axios Login. Sign up for free.Get the inside storiesGet an insider’s guide to the new White House with Axios Sneak Peek. Sign up for free.Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everydayCatch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everydayWant a daily digest of the top Denver news?Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios DenverWant a daily digest of the top Des Moines news?Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Des MoinesWant a daily digest of the top Twin Cities news?Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Twin CitiesWant a daily digest of the top Tampa Bay news?Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Tampa BayWant a daily digest of the top Charlotte news?Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios CharlotteWant a daily digest of the top Nashville news?Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with the Axios Nashville newsletter.Want a daily digest of the top Columbus news?Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with the Axios Columbus newsletter.Want a daily digest of the top Dallas news?Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with the Axios Dallas newsletter.Want a daily digest of the top Austin news?Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with the Axios Austin newsletter.Want a daily digest of the top Atlanta news?Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with the Axios Atlanta newsletter.Want a daily digest of the top Philadelphia news?Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with the Axios Philadelphia newsletter.Want a daily digest of the top Chicago news?Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with the Axios Chicago newsletter.Sign up for Axios NW ArkansasStay up-to-date on the most important and interesting stories affecting NW Arkansas, authored by local reportersWant a daily digest of the top DC news?Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with the Axios DC newsletter.Photo: Oliver Contreras/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesThe White House distanced itself from a proposal endorsed by Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) that calls for closing federal prisons.”The president does not support abolishing prisons,” White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said at a Tuesday briefing. Why it matters: Psaki’s remarks come amid a broader discussion on prison reform and after Tlaib was challenged on her stance by Axios’ Jonathan Swan in an “Axios on HBO” interview.”[E]veryone’s like, ‘Oh my God, we’re going to just release everybody.’ That’s not — ,” Tlaib said in the interview, which aired Sunday.Swan interjected that the BREATHE Act “actually says: Release everyone” from federal prisons over 10 years.In the “Axios on HBO” interview, Swan asked to what extent Tlaib has wrestled with potential downsides to the reforms:Tlaib: “But did you see how many people are mentally ill that are in prison right now?”Swan: “But there are, like, human traffickers.”Tlaib: “Oh, I know. … Look at who’s in prison now … folks that are mentally ill, that have substance-abuse problems … And obviously there’s a process of looking at how can we get away from mass incarceration, and move towards care first.”On Tuesday, Psaki reiterated that Biden does not support defunding the police, adding that “he would not support legislation that includes it.””He thinks measures like that will make us less safe,” she added.