Michele Bachmann facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Michele Bachmann
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| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Minnesota's 6th district |
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| In office January 3, 2007 – January 3, 2015 |
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| Preceded by | Mark Kennedy |
| Succeeded by | Tom Emmer |
| Member of the Minnesota Senate | |
| In office January 3, 2001 – January 2, 2007 |
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| Preceded by | Gary Laidig |
| Succeeded by | Ray Vandeveer |
| Constituency |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
Michele Marie Amble
April 6, 1956 Waterloo, Iowa, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican (since 1978) |
| Other political affiliations |
Democratic (before 1978) |
| Spouse |
Marcus Bachmann
(m. 1978) |
| Children | 5 |
| Education |
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Michele Marie Bachmann (born April 6, 1956) is an American politician. She served as a U.S. Representative for Minnesota from 2007 to 2015. She is a member of the Republican Party.
In 2012, she ran to become president of the United States. However, she stopped her campaign after the first voting event in Iowa.
Bachmann was born in Waterloo, Iowa. When she was 13, her family moved to Brooklyn Park, Minnesota. She studied law at Oral Roberts University and William & Mary Law School. After finishing her studies, she worked briefly in tax law for the Internal Revenue Service. Later, she became a stay-at-home mother. She started getting involved in local politics, especially focusing on education issues.
In 2000, Bachmann was elected to the Minnesota Senate. Then, in 2006, she won a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. After her presidential campaign, she was re-elected to the House in 2012. She decided not to run again in 2014 and retired from Congress.
Since 2021, Michele Bachmann has been a dean at the Robertson School of Government at Regent University.
Early Life and Education
Michele Marie Amble was born on April 6, 1956, in Waterloo, Iowa. Her parents were David John Amble and Arlene Jean Amble. Her family moved to Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, when she was 13.
She went to Anoka High School and graduated in 1974. After high school, she spent a summer working at a kibbutz in Israel. In 1978, she earned her bachelor's degree from Winona State University.
Bachmann then studied law at Oral Roberts University (ORU). She received her law degree (J.D.) from ORU in 1986. In 1988, she earned another law degree (LL.M.) in tax law from William & Mary Law School.
From 1988 to 1993, she worked as a tax lawyer for the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). She left the IRS to become a full-time mother after her fourth child was born.
Starting Her Political Journey
Becoming a Republican
Michele Bachmann grew up in a family that supported the Democratic Party. She has said she became a Republican during her last year at Winona State University. She realized her political views were more aligned with the Republican Party.
Serving in the Minnesota Senate
In 2000, Bachmann began her formal political career. She was elected to the Minnesota Senate. She won against the person who held the seat before her, Gary Laidig.
After new district maps were drawn, she won another election in 2002. During her time as a state senator, she was known for her conservative views.
In the U.S. House of Representatives
From 2007 to 2015, Michele Bachmann represented Minnesota's 6th Congressional District. This district includes areas around the Twin Cities and St. Cloud. She was the first Republican woman from Minnesota to be elected to the House of Representatives.
Key Issues in Congress
Foreign Affairs
In 2007, Bachmann voted against a plan to increase U.S. troops in Iraq. However, she wanted a full discussion about the plan first. She believed that increasing troops could help end the conflict faster. After visiting Iraq, she felt the war effort was moving in the right direction.
Higher Education
In 2007, Bachmann voted against the College Cost Reduction and Access Act. This law aimed to help more students afford college. It increased financial aid like Pell grants and lowered interest rates on student loans. Bachmann opposed it because she felt it had "gimmicks" and "hidden costs." She also thought it favored government-run lending over private lenders. The bill passed and became law.
Energy and Environment
In 2008, when gas prices were high, Bachmann supported increasing oil and natural gas drilling in the U.S. She visited places like the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) to learn about energy production.
Bachmann has stated that she does not believe climate change is real or caused by humans. She has called global warming "a hoax." She has also said that carbon dioxide is a "harmless gas" that is "naturally occurring."
She introduced a bill called the "Light Bulb Freedom of Choice Act." This bill aimed to stop new energy efficiency rules for light bulbs. She wanted to make sure new rules would truly save money and be safe for people.
Financial Issues
Bachmann opposed the Wall Street bailout bill in 2008. This bill was meant to help America's financial companies. She voted against it, saying she wanted to break up large financial companies. She also wanted to stop executives from getting huge bonuses.
She also criticized the idea of giving loans to American auto companies. She worried that these loans would not lead to real changes in their businesses. She supported a plan that would require auto companies to reduce their debt and change labor deals.
Health Care
Bachmann strongly wanted to repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. She believed it was a "government takeover of health care." She argued that it would harm private health insurance.
In 2011, during a presidential debate, Bachmann criticized a vaccine for HPV. She claimed it was dangerous and could cause "mental retardation." However, major medical groups like the American Academy of Pediatrics stated there was no scientific proof for her claims. They confirmed the vaccine was safe and effective. Bachmann later said she was not a doctor or a scientist.
Committee Work
In 2011, House Speaker John Boehner chose Bachmann for a position on the United States House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. This committee oversees important agencies like the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Bachmann had not served on foreign policy committees before this.
Retirement from Congress
On May 29, 2013, Michele Bachmann announced she would not run for re-election in 2014. She made this announcement in a video. This decision came shortly after her previous opponent, Jim Graves, said he would run for her seat again. Many people thought she wanted to avoid another close election.
Bachmann stated she would remain involved in politics. She did not rule out running for office again in the future. When she retired from Congress, investigations into her campaign finances were stopped.
Committee Assignments
During her time in the House, Bachmann served on these committees:
- Committee on Financial Services
- Subcommittee on Capital Markets and Government-Sponsored Enterprises
- Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations
- Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence
Political Views
Michele Bachmann describes herself as a "strong fiscal conservative." This means she believes in careful spending of government money. Her views are also seen as socially conservative and supportive of businesses. She was a notable leader in the Tea Party movement. She often criticized President Barack Obama and the Democratic Party.
In 2010, the American Conservative Union gave her a perfect score for her conservative voting record.
Education Views
Bachmann supports teaching creationism alongside evolution in public school science classes. She believes that evolution is a theory that has not been fully proven. She co-authored a bill that would require schools to teach other ideas about the origin of life. However, most scientists agree that evolution is a fact.
Bachmann has also spoken against anti-bullying laws. In 2006, she said that there have always been bullies and always will be. She questioned how a "zero tolerance" policy would work.
Economic Views
In the Minnesota Senate, Bachmann opposed raising the minimum wage. She has suggested getting rid of the federal minimum wage entirely. She believes this would help reduce unemployment. Bachmann also supports lowering taxes.
She has said that federal policies create a very controlled economy in the U.S. She believes that education laws have promoted a "socialist, globalist worldview." She signed a pledge not to raise taxes.
Environment Views
Bachmann supports increasing oil and natural gas drilling in the U.S. She also supports developing renewable energy sources like wind and solar. She is a strong supporter of nuclear power.
She has strongly opposed the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). She once said that the EPA's doors should be "locked and lights turned off."
Social Security and Medicare
Bachmann has called for gradually ending Social Security and Medicare. These are government programs that provide retirement and health benefits. She believes that people already in the system should keep their benefits. However, she thinks new generations should be "weaned off" these programs.
Foreign Policy Views
Bachmann believes that the 2003 invasion of Iraq was justified. When dealing with Iran, she thinks diplomacy is an option. However, she believes other options, including a nuclear strike, should not be ruled out. She has also stated she is a "longtime supporter of Israel."
Immigration Views
Bachmann believes that stronger enforcement of immigration laws is important for American jobs. She supports changing immigration laws to only allow immediate family members of legal immigrants to get priority. She voted against the DREAM Act, which would help young undocumented immigrants. She believes current laws just need to be properly enforced.
She has said that the U.S. immigration system worked well until the mid-1960s. At that time, she believes "liberal members of Congress changed the immigration laws." She supports immigration for highly skilled professionals.
Political Campaigns
2006 Congressional Campaign
Michele Bachmann won her first election to Congress in 2006. She received 50% of the votes. She defeated Patty Wetterling and John Binkowski.
Bachmann said that "God then called me to run" for the U.S. House seat. She and her husband even fasted to be sure about the decision.
She received support from important Republican leaders. These included Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert, Karl Rove, and President George W. Bush.
2008 Congressional Campaign
In 2008, Bachmann was reelected to her seat. She won with 46.4% of the vote. She defeated Elwyn Tinklenberg, who received 43.4%.
2010 Congressional Campaign
In 2010, Bachmann ran for re-election again. She faced Tarryl Clark and Bob Anderson. Bachmann spent more money on her campaign than any other House candidate that year. On November 2, 2010, Bachmann won with 52% of the votes.
2012 Presidential Campaign
In early 2011, Michele Bachmann announced she would run for president. She officially became a candidate on June 27, 2011, in her birth city of Waterloo, Iowa.
She won the Ames Straw Poll in Iowa in August 2011. She was the first woman to win this poll. However, she finished sixth in the Iowa Caucuses on January 3, 2012. The next day, she ended her presidential campaign.
2012 Congressional Campaign
On January 25, 2012, Bachmann announced she would run for re-election to her Congressional seat. She raised a lot of money for her campaign, almost $15 million. This was more than many Senate candidates raised that year.
Despite raising a lot of money, Bachmann won her re-election by a very small margin. She received only 4,298 more votes than her opponent, Jim Graves.
Personal Life
Family
In 1978, Michele Amble married Marcus Bachmann. He is a clinical therapist. They have five children: Lucas, Harrison, Elisa, Caroline, and Sophia.
The Bachmanns have also provided foster care for 23 other children. These were all teenage girls. They were licensed to care for up to three foster children at a time. Some girls stayed for a few months, others for more than a year.
Religion
Bachmann was raised as an Evangelical Lutheran. She was a longtime member of Salem Lutheran Church in Stillwater. In 2011, she and her husband changed their church membership to Rockpoint Church.
She has mentioned that theologian Francis Schaeffer greatly influenced her life. She also finds the book Total Truth by Nancy Pearcey "wonderful."
Businesses
Michele Bachmann and her husband own a Christian counseling practice called Bachmann & Associates. Her husband runs the clinic. The clinic has received money from government agencies for training employees.
See also
In Spanish: Michele Bachmann para niños
- United States congressional delegations from Minnesota
- List of United States representatives from Minnesota
- Women in the United States House of Representatives
