Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) has announced that she will not seek another term in the House of Representatives. However, the former presidential candidate’s legacy of extreme statements, paranoid conspiracy theories, and ideological witch hunts will live on through the right-wing members of Congress who will continue to champion her views.

Anti-American Conspiracies

Bachmann Called For A Media Investigation Into Whether Members Of Congress Are “Pro-America Or Anti-America.” During an interview on MSNBC’s Hardball, Michele Bachmann said, “What I would say — what I would say is that the news media should do a penetrating expose and take a look. I wish they would. I wish the American media would take a great look at the views of the people in Congress and find out, are they pro-America or anti-America? I think people would love to see an expose like that.” [MSNBC, Hardball, 10/17/08]

• Steve King Called Joe McCarthy “A Hero” And Said He Would Support Something “Along the Lines Of the House Un-American Activities Committee.” In an interview with Right Side News, Rep. Steve King (R-IA) was asked, whether he would support “resurrection of the Congressional internal security committees along the lines of the House Un-American Activities Committee.” King replied, “I would. Something similar. If we called it the House Un-American Activities Committee, that would be lighting up the history of McCarthy in a way that wouldn’t be necessary, although I am often quoted as saying McCarthy was a hero for America. He was. He was right far more times than he was wrong. It is a historical fact. But I would submit a different committee name so that we don’t have to deal with the history, and move forward. I think that is a good process and I would support it.” [Right Side News, 10/5/10]

Bachmann Warned Of “Deep Penetration In The Halls Of Our United States Government” By The Muslim Brotherhood. According to Religion News Service, “Accusations by Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., that an Islamist group has infiltrated the U.S. government are drawing fierce criticism from fellow lawmakers and religious groups. Bachmann and four other GOP legislators have sent letters to five government agencies citing ‘serious security concerns’ about what Bachmann has called a ‘deep penetration in the halls of our United States government’ by the Muslim Brotherhood. Bachmann also accused Huma Abedin, an aide to Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and former Rep. Anthony Weiner’s wife, of having family connections to the Muslim Brotherhood.” [Religion News Service, 7/18/12]

• Gohmert: “This Administration Has So Many Muslim Brotherhood Members.” According to Talking Points Memo, “‘It’s very clear to everybody but this administration that radical Islam is at war against us,’ [Rep. Louie] Gohmert told WND Radio. ‘And I’m hoping either this administration will wake up or a new one will come in at the next election before irreparable damage is done. Because radical Islam is at war with us. Thank God for the moderates who don’t approve of what’s being done. But this administration has so many Muslim Brotherhood members that have influence that they just are making wrong decisions for America.’” [Talking Points Memo, 4/26/13]

Health Care

Bachmann Warned That Obamacare Will “Literally Kill People.” In remarks on the House floor, Michele Bachmann said, “That’s why we’re here because we’re saying let’s repeal this failure [the Affordable Care Act] before it literally kills women, kills children, kills senior citizens. Let’s not do that. Let’s love people, let’s care about people. Let’s repeal it now while we can.” [Bachmann Remarks, 3/21/13]

• Broun: Health Care Reform “Is Gonna Kill People.” In remarks on the House floor, Rep. Paul Broun (R-GA) said, “That’s exactly what’s going on in Canada and Great Britain today. They don’t have the appreciation of life that we have in our society evidently. And…a lot of people are going to die. This program of government option that’s being touted as being this panacea, the savior of allowing people to have quality health care at an affordable price, is gonna kill people.” [Broun Remarks, 7/10/11]

Bachmann Called Obamacare “The Crown Jewel Of Socialism.” According to The Hill, “Outspoken Republican Rep. Michele Bachmann (Minn.) used her last chance to address the House prior to the vote to repeal last year’s health care legislation to declare that the plan is the crown jewel of socialism and predicted that Republican’s will ‘repeal’ the current president and current Senate. ‘Obamacare, as we know, is the crown jewel of socialism,’ said Bachmann. ‘It is socialized medicine.’” [The Hill, 1/19/11]

• Steve King Called Obamacare “The Crown Jewel Of Socialism.” According to The Hill, “Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa), one of the House conservatives urging constituents to make their way to the Hill this week for a ‘House call’ on healthcare with lawmakers, said he is hoping the push will end health reform legislation, which he said was the centerpiece of a socialistic agenda. ‘This is the crown jewel of socialism — this 1,990-page bill that must be killed,’ King said during an interview on a conservative radio syndicate.” [The Hill, 11/2/09]

Climate Change

Bachmann Mocked The Claim That Carbon Dioxide Is “Harmful.” In remarks on the House floor, Michele Bachmann said, “As a matter of fact, carbon dioxide is portrayed as harmful! But there isn’t even one study that can be produced that shows carbon dioxide is a harmful gas. There isn’t one such study because carbon dioxide is not a harmful gas, it is a harmless gas. Carbon dioxide is natural. It is not harmful. It is part of Earth’s life cycle. And yet we’re being told that we have to reduce this natural substance and reduce the American standard of living to create an arbitrary reduction in something that is naturally occuring in the earth. Well we’re told the crux of this problem is human activity. It’s humans that are creating more carbon dioxide!” [Bachmann Remarks, 4/22/09]

• Boehner: “Almost Comical” To Suggest Carbon Dioxide Is “Harmful.” During an interview on ABC’s This Week, then-Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) said, “the idea that carbon dioxide is a carcinogen that is harmful to our environment is almost comical. Every time we exhale, we exhale carbon dioxide. Every cow in the world, you know, when they do what they do, you’ve got more carbon dioxide.” [ABC, This Week, 4/19/09]

Bachmann Called Climate Change “Voodoo, Nonsense, Hokum, A Hoax.” According to the Clearwater-West Sherburne Tribune, Bachmann said, “The big thing we are working on now is the global warming hoax. It’s all voodoo, nonsense, hokum, a hoax.”

• Inhofe: “Man-Made Global Warming Is The Greatest Hoax Ever Perpetrated On The American People.” According to Human Events, “As far back as 2003, Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.) raised hackles in the “green community” and the national press when he took to the Senate floor to declare “that man-made global warming is the greatest hoax ever perpetrated on the American people.” [Human Events, 8/6/11]

Immigration

Bachmann Bemoaned The “Anchor Baby” Problem And Said Of The Children Of Undocumented Immigrants, “We Don’t Owe Them Anything.” According to CNN, “Bachmann, who was also asked about her position on illegal immigration, told the audience she thinks it is possible through legislation to stop the ‘anchor baby’ problem of children born to mothers living illegally in the United States.” According to NBC News, Bachmann “described why she is against the federal government rewarding citizenship to the children of illegal immigrants. ‘Their parents are the ones who brought them here,’ Bachmann said. ‘They did not have the legal right to come to the United States,’ Bachmann added, of the parents. ‘We do not owe people who broke our laws to come into the country. We don’t owe them anything.’” [CNN, 8/26/11; NBC News, 10/29/11]

• Duncan Hunter Wants To Deport Undocumented Immigrants’ Children Who Are Natural Born Citizens. According to the Associated Press, “Rep. Duncan Hunter said he would support deporting U.S.-born children of illegal immigrants, adding that ‘it takes more than walking across the border to be an American citizen.’ The San Diego-area Republican congressman spoke Saturday at a video recorded tea party rally in Ramona. Hunter was asked by someone in the crowd if he backed deporting natural-born American citizens who are the children of illegal immigrants. ‘I would have to, yes,’ Hunter said. Hunter said in the video that some of his critics believe his stance is mean-spirited. ‘And we’re not being mean. We’re just saying it takes more than walking across the border to become an American citizen,’ he said. ‘It’s what’s in our souls.’ The 14th amendment to the U.S. Constitution guarantees citizenship to all persons born in the United States.” [Associated Press, 6/29/10]

Guns

Bachmann Pushed U.N. Gun Treaty Conspiracy Theory. According to the Los Angeles Times, “The candidate bases at least some of her assertions on obscure conspiracy theories. In Estherville, after a supporter asked her position on the 2nd Amendment, Bachmann said she supported Americans’ rights to own guns and that she had a permit to carry a concealed weapon. But then she added: ‘I don’t believe in the U.N. taking that right away from us, as well. There are international treaties that want to do that.’ The United Nations is drafting an arms treaty, but it is aimed at stemming illegal international gun sales. While many gun manufacturers are concerned that such a treaty could lead to broader gun registration, only a narrow fringe purports that Americans could see their guns taken away by the U.N., which has no authority over constitutional rights.” [Los Angeles Times, 10/23/11]

• Rand Paul Warned That U.N. Treaty Would Lead To “Full –Scale Gun CONFISCATION.” According to Mother Jones, “In February, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) sent out an urgent message to his supporters. The subject was the United Nations Small Arms Treaty, a pact under consideration by the UN that would wipe out Americans’ Second Amendment rights. If it were to be ratified by the Senate, Paul wrote, it would allow the government to ‘CONFISCATE and DESTROY ALL ‘unauthorized’ civilian firearms.’ And that would be just the beginning. Once implemented, the treaty it would mandate that all guns be registered with the international body, paving the way for ‘full-scale gun CONFISCATION.’ Only there’s no such thing as the UN Small Arms Treaty. The senator was broadcasting unfounded propaganda being disseminated by an extreme gun group. Paul was writing on behalf of the National Association for Gun Rights, a Second Amendment organization that considers the National Rifle Association too moderate.” [Mother Jones, 10/6/11]

Marriage Equality

Bachmann Compared Same-Sex Marriage To People Wanting “To Marry Our Grandfather Or Grandmother.” According to the American Independent, Bachmann said, “I think it’s important that we fundamentally remember everyone has the same right; no one is being denied rights … Every man has a right to marry; every woman has a right to marry. They don’t have the right to marry the person of the same sex, just like we don’t have a right to marry our son or daughter. We don’t have a right to marry our grandfather or grandmother.” [American Independent, 2/8/12]

• Hartzler: “Why Not Allow An Uncle To Marry His Niece?” According to ThinkProgress, Rep. Vicky Hartzler (R-MO) said, “For instance, you know, if you just care about somebody and you have a committed relationship, why not allow one man and two women, or three women to marry? There are a lot of people in this country that support polygamy. Why not? If they’re committed to each other, why should you care? Why not allow group marriage? There are people out there who want that. I think it’s call polyamory, it’s got some big name. But anyway, group marriage, I understand it. Well, is that the best policy? Why not allow an uncle to marry his niece? Why not allow a 50-year-old man to marry a 12-year-old girl if they love each other and they’re committed? So, pretty soon, if you don’t set parameters, you don’t have any parameters at all, the license means nothing — the marriage means nothing. It’s their right to marry whoever they want, but we’re saying marriage is between a man and a woman.” [ThinkProgress, 6/3/11]

Iraq War

Bachmann: Iraqis Should “Reimburse Us” For Liberating Them. According to Talking Points Memo, “During a debate while running for the Republican nomination for president, Bachmann said Iraq and Libya should reimburse the United States for being liberated. ‘Cutting back on foreign aid is one thing. Being reimbursed by nations that we have liberated is another,’ she said. ‘We should look to Iraq, and Libya, to reimburse us for part of what we have done to liberate these nations.’” [Talking Points Memo, 5/29/13]

• Rohrabacher Said Iraq Should Consider “Repaying the United States.” According to the Huffington Post, “A U.S. congressman visiting Baghdad Friday suggested that Iraq pay back the United States for the money it has spent in the eight years since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003. Rep. Dana Rohrabacher spoke during a one-day visit by a group of six U.S. congressman. The California Republican said he raised the suggestion during a meeting with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki that some day when Iraq is a ‘prosperous’ nation it pay back the U.S. for everything that it has done here. ‘We would hope that some consideration be given to repaying the United States some of the megadollars we have spent here in the last eight years,’ Rohrabacher told reporters at the U.S. Embassy after the meeting.” [Huffington Post, 6/10/11]