Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN)

Elected in 2006, Congresswoman Michele Bachmann is the first Republican woman to be elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from Minnesota. In her 1st term, Congresswoman Bachmann developed a reputation as a "principled reformer" who stays true to her conservative beliefs while pushing for real reform. Her strong advocacy for constituents earned her a 2nd term in Congress in November 2008. She's a leading advocate for bipartisan earmark reform and tax relief, and staunch opponent of wasteful government spending. She is among the leaders in the U.S. House pushing for increased US energy exploration to put our nation on the path to energy independence. Prior to serving in the U.S. Congress, Bachmann was elected to the Minnesota State Senate in 2000 where she championed the Taxpayers Bill of Rights. Prior to that, Bachmann spent 5 years as a federal tax litigation attorney. That experience solidified Bachmann’s strong support for efforts to simplify the Tax Code and reduce tax burdens on family and small business budgets. Congresswoman Bachmann currently sits on the Financial Services Committee, tasked with the oversight of numerous financial sectors including housing, real estate & banking. Congresswoman Bachmann is a graduate of Winona State University. After earning a law degree, she went on to the College of William and Mary to get an LLM in tax law. Bachmann and her husband, Marcus, live in Stillwater where they own a small business mental health care practice that employs 42 people. The Bachmanns have five children, Lucas, Harrison, Elisa, Caroline, and Sophia. In addition, the Bachmanns have opened their home to 23 foster children, which has inspired Congresswoman Bachmann to become one of Congress’ leading advocates for foster and adopted children. She was recently honored with an appointment to the bipartisan Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute’s Advisory Board.