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Contributors in Minnesota: Jennifer Brooks, Baird Helgeson, Mike Kaszuba, Patricia Lopez, Jim Ragsdale, Brad Schrade and Rachel E. Stassen-Berger. Contributor in D.C.: Kevin Diaz.
Contributors in Minnesota: Jennifer Brooks, Baird Helgeson, Mike Kaszuba, Patricia Lopez, Jim Ragsdale, Brad Schrade and Rachel E. Stassen-Berger. Contributor in D.C.: Kevin Diaz.
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Bachmann greets the Tea Party hours before House vote
Posted by: Eric Roper under Minnesota congressional Updated: March 21, 2010 - 4:48 PM
Hours before the House is slated to vote on the Democrat health care bill, a Tea Party storm is still brewing outside the Capitol. And Rep. Michele Bachmann is not one to shirk her fans.
With hundreds of conservative activists protesting the bill on the south side of the Capitol building, Bachmann emerged gleefuly onto the balcony outside the Speaker's lobby at about 4 p.m. She and other lawmakers spent several minutes waving to the assembled masses, who cheered them on with chants of "kill the bill."
Bachmann then left the balcony for an area closer to the crowd where representatives were taking turns speaking into an amplified microphone.Turning to the crowd, she yelled into the microphone: “I’m going to do my very best to act like a lady!” a reference to her spat with Pennsylvania Democratic Senator Arlen Specter several weeks ago.
She explained that the debate was coming down to pro-life Democrats like Rep. Bart Stupak, who she said appeared to be “caving.” This garnered a loud “no” from the crowd.
“It is not over yet. It is not over,” Bachmann said. “So anything you can continue to do to talk to the pro-life Democrats, it’s come down to them.”
Stupak later said that he was supporting the bill.
“Bart Stupak, as you know, gave in today,” she said later in a interview with Hot Dish. “So in all likelihood unfortunately it looks like it will [pass],” Bachmann said. “I’m heartbroken that he gave in. I was heartbroken that Jim Oberstar gave in, because no one can say they are pro-life and vote for this bill.”
The vote is expected sometime between 10 p.m. and midnight, and the Minnesota delegation's votes are largely set in stone. Bachmann, Paulsen, Kline and Peterson will vote no. Oberstar, Walz, McCollum, Ellison will vote yes.
Hayley Tsukayama contributed to this post
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