Rep. Bachmann looks forward to 'limitless' future, but not in the House
Updated Wednesday 5/29 at 10:30 a.m. ET
(CNN) - U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann, a conservative firebrand whose bid for president last year ended after the Iowa caucuses, will not seek re-election to her Minnesota congressional seat in 2014.
Making her announcement in a video posted to her campaign website early Wednesday, Bachmann stressed she had no plans to fade from public view.
"Looking forward, after the completion of my term, my future is full, it is limitless, and my passions for America will remain," she announced.
Bachmann, who's in her fourth term representing Minnesota's 6th District, promised that there "is no future option or opportunity" that she "won't be giving serious consideration if it can help save and protect our great nation for future generations."
Bachmann staved off a tougher-than-expected challenge for her seat last November against Democrat Jim Graves, winning re-election by just under 5,000 votes. Graves has announced he will seek the seat again in 2014.
In her video announcement, Bachmann said her decision was not influenced by any concerns about winning reelection.
"I've always, in the past, defeated candidates who were capable, qualified, and well-funded. And I have every confidence that if I ran, I would again defeat the individual who I defeated last year, who recently announced that he is once again running," Bachmann said.
Nor was her decision based on any concerns over an ongoing congressional ethics inquiry into the improper transfer of campaign funds, Bachmann said in her video. She is also facing a Federal Election Commission complaint about her former presidential campaign.
"This decision was not impacted in any way by the recent inquiries into the activities of my former presidential campaign or my former presidential staff," she said. "It was clearly understood that compliance with all rules and regulations was an absolute necessity for my presidential campaign. And I have no reason to believe that that was not the case."
Bachmann's run for president in 2012 reached its peak in August 2011, when she beat out a slate of other candidates to win the Ames Straw Poll in the early voting state of Iowa, where she was born. Her campaign lost steam in the fall to other conservative candidates like Rick Perry, Herman Cain, Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum, and she eventually placed sixth in the first-in-the-nation Iowa caucuses. She ended her presidential bid the next day.
In the eight-minute long video, Bachmann, an early supporter of the Tea Party movement, touted her work on a variety of conservative issues, promising to "to work vehemently and robustly to fight back against what most in the other party want to do to transform our country into becoming, which would be a nation that our founders would hardly even recognize today."
Bachmann was one of the leading supporters of the emerging tea party movement in 2010, founding the "tea party caucus" in the House of Representatives and delivering her own "tea party response" to President Barack Obama's State of the Union address. Most recently she organized a tea party rally on Capitol Hill protesting the Internal Revenue Service's admitted targeting of conservative groups applying for tax exempt status.
In her video, she said she wouldn't let up on the causes she championed as a U.S. representative.
"I promise you I have and I will continue to fight to protect innocent human life, traditional marriage, family values, religious liberty, and academic excellence," Bachmann said.
In a polite statement, National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Rep. Greg Walden wrote Bachmann "has been a tireless advocate and dedicated Representative for the people of Minnesota’s Sixth District."
"Michele was the first Republican woman elected to represent Minnesota in the U.S. House of Representatives, and she has worked hard each day to ensure that her constituents’ voices are heard in the halls of Congress," he continued.
Democrats were less laudatory - the House Majority PAC, which works to elect Democrats to Congress, wrote Bachmann's decision was "good news for the people of Minnesota and our nation."
"Bachmann voluntarily removing herself from Congress is a victory we can all celebrate today," the group's executive director Alixandria Lapp wrote.
CNN's Kevin Liptak and Martina Stewart contributed to this report.
From CNN Politics
- Bolton bombshell undercuts Trump impeachment defense January 27, 2020 12:14 pm
- Analysis: Bolton revelation raises the stakes as Trump's defense team takes the spotlight January 27, 2020 12:00 pm
- GOP prospects of defeating witness vote uncertain after New York Times Bolton report January 27, 2020 05:54 am
- Schiff calls Trump 'vindictive' and says Trump's tweet was intended to intimidate January 26, 2020 05:14 pm
- New York Times: Bolton draft book manuscript says Trump tied Ukraine aid freeze to political investigations January 27, 2020 05:50 am
- NTSB sending investigative team to helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant January 27, 2020 12:56 am
Can you even believe anything she says ?
"to work vehemently and robustly to fight back against what most in the other party want to do to transform our country into becoming, which would be a nation that our founders would hardly even recognize today."
Bachman's powerful words have been translated into many languages, and we anxiously await English.
So long sad times,
Go along bad times,
We are rid of you at last.
.
Howdy gay times,
Cloudy gray times,
You are now a thing of the past,
Happy days are here again!
There is a God!!!
One less idiot involved in the process. This is good news.
"and academic excellence?" Let's hope she starts with educating herself.
Good riddance!!!!!
"if I ran, I would again defeat the individual who I defeated last year"
Yeah right. Remember, "It's the economy stupid," and right now Europe -which pursued Austerity measures like the Tea Party advocated- is still mired in recession while the US stock market has hit record highs, home prices are recovering from Bush/Cheney recession lows, and gas prices are nowhere near the $4.11/gallon peak that they hit during the Bush Administration.
As long as the economy continues to recover Obama's approval ratings will not fall and the Tea Party will continue to fade into obscurity.
Praise The Lord! Thank god she's not running again. Perhaps she will disappear from the limelight as well. One can pray!
As a proud Minnesotan I say Yippee !!!!!!!! Champagne corks will be popping tonight
at last, a little good news.
What a fruitcake! Who are the people who support this windbag?
Not a big deal.
She lives in the church, which does little to improve government.
good riddance to one of the looniest and dumbest congresspersons even
As a resident of MN this is fantastic news. There was video floating around after the gay marriage amendment passed stating that she was leaving the state, which turned out to be untrue. The woman was/is hateful, plain and simple. Republican or democrat, her tactics and approach to politics needs to go if bipartisanship is even remotely possible.
coming soon as yet another "political consultant" for Fox news...
Whew, one less crazy in the House...
Good riddance to this bigot.
Finally Ms. "Loony-Tuney" will take a hike! Her video is simply an attempt to get out ahead of investigations into her violations of FEC laws and probably an underlying (criminal) scandal. This shrill duck was an embarrassment to the GOP and to her constituents.
She and Sarah Palin have NO clue about statesmanship. Both of their rhetoric is as far from the grand eloquence, style and manner of Lincoln, Barbara Jordan, Newt Gingrich or Tip O'Neil as the Andromeda galaxy is from our Sun. Good Riddance and Plz don't call us again!
Thank God
Thanks for quitting you've done enough damage plus you know you were going to lose any way.
As a 6th district resident in Minn who DIDN'T vote for Bachmann, ever, I'm so glad she's done. We've been trying to oust her for 4 elections to no success. People blindly vote republican in this district, but now even "the blind" have to acknowledge just how damaging this woman is to our state and country.
She can help save and protect our great nation for future generations, best, by getting the hell out of Washington.
Good. Perhaps she's following through on her promise to leave my home state. She's been a disgrace ever since taking office, and Minnesota will be far better off without her. Please let the door hit you on the way out, Michelle....let it hit you hard.
Finally! Forced out by fraud and scandal! A NEW DAY DAWNS FOR THE NORTHERN SUBURBS OF THE TWIN CITIES METRO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This...thing?....has been a MN embarrassment for seven long years. Please don't blame most of the state for the electoral malfeasance of her second-tier suburb tea bagging hillbilly inbred fanbase.
Thanks!