By Andy Wiltrout
Speaking to an audience at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, conservative Republican presidential candidate Rep. Michelle Bachmann (Minn.) reaffirmed that she will not vote in support of raising the country’s debt ceiling.
When asked if she would support John Boehner’s (R-Ohio) two-step plan, Bachmann said, “I will not be casting my vote for that bill…I am committed to not raising the debt ceiling.”
Indeed, Bachmann skipped a vote this morning on a rule allowing for limited debate of Boehner’s plan.
Bachmann chalked up failed negotiations on raising the debt limit to a failure of leadership exhibited by President Obama.
“The President has kicked the can to the Vice President, kicked the can to the Congress, and he has failed to lead in this issue of grappling the spending, the debt, and the economy,” she said.
Citing a statement from Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, Bachmann said that with well over 300 million Americans, the government is sending out 80 million checks a month. According to Bachmann, the government is paying for everything in this country. She called for a complete review of what government should and should not be involved in.
“We have to have a fundamental restructuring of how we spend money,” she said. “Unfortunately, with the plan that is being offered later this afternoon, we aren’t making that fundamental restructuring.”