Michele Bachmann

Background

Born April 6, 1956, in Waterloo, Iowa. An attorney, she received a bachelor's degree from Winona State University in 1978, her law degree from Oral Roberts University in 1986 and her masters of laws degree from the College of William and Mary in 1988. She has been U.S. representative from Minnesota's 6th District since 2007. She served in the Minnesota State Senate from 2001-2007. Married with five children.

Issues

She voted for $192 billion in stimulus spending in July 2009; voted against two earlier stimulus packages totaling nearly $900 billion and against housing aid and auto-industry aid. She is opposed to the extension of jobless benefits and would repeal the financial-industry regulations enacted in response to the subprime housing crisis. She supports constitutional amendment banning gay marriage. She promises to seek a repeal of President Barack Obama's health care law. She voted against expanding Children's Health Insurance Program and against regulating tobacco as a drug. She would keep Social Security for older workers and "wean everybody else off." She says it is "very likely" that the age for retirement benefits will have to go up for new workers. She would eliminate the estate tax, and give a tax holiday followed by low tax rate, 5 percent, for U.S. companies operating overseas that repatriate their profits. She opposed U.S. intervention in Libya, saying the effort might be helping terrorists there. She called Afghanistan a war "we must and can win" provided generals have sufficient troops and money.