Minnesota Independent

The House wing of the U.S. Capitol. Photo: Jim Armstrong, Flickr

Bachmann, Cravaack, Kline and Peterson back bill that redefines rape in publicly funded abortion cases

By Aaron Sarver | 01.31.11 | 11:25 am

Republican U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann, Chip Cravaack (pictured) and John Kline and Democrat Collin Peterson are among 173 congressional co-sponsors of H.R. 3, the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act. Federal law prohibits government funding of abortions except in some cases including incest and rape, but H.R. 3 seeks to limit the exceptions to cases of “forcible rape.”

Bachmann renews call to defund Planned Parenthood

By Andy Birkey | 01.27.11 | 3:19 pm

Rep. Michele Bachmann renewed her call to defund Planned Parenthood in an article penned for Human Events, a conservative publication, over the weekend. After the last time she made such a plea — in December — she helped Planned Parenthood of Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota raise $3,000 from supporters. Bachmann, along with fellow Republican Reps. John Kline and Chip Cravaack, are cosponsors of a bill recently introduced in the U.S. House to deny federal family planning funds to Planned Parenthood.

Photo: U.S. Army Family, Morale Welfare and Recreation Command Image Archive, Flickr

Kline cosponsors bill to delay repeal of ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’

By Luke Johnson | 01.21.11 | 9:09 am

The repeal of “don’t ask, don’t tell,” the U.S. military’s policy of banning openly gay servicemembers, was signed into law late last year. Nevertheless, Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.) has already introduced a bill that would require the signature of chiefs of the four branches of the military to sign off on the repeal as well. Republican Rep. John Kline is among 18 cosponsors of the bill.

House passes health care reform repeal

By Andy Birkey | 01.20.11 | 9:00 am

House Republicans passed a repeal of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act by a vote of 245-189, mainly along party lines — only three Democrats joined with the Republicans. The vote prompted sharp reactions from all sides of Minnesota politics: Rep. Michele Bachmann called for the repeal of President Obama, while Rep. Keith Ellison said that Republicans voted dump 32 millions Americans’ health coverage.

Rep. Betty McCollum (D-St. Paul). Photo: Facebook

Republicans kill McCollum’s anti-child marriage bill

By Andy Birkey | 12.21.10 | 8:07 am

A bill authored by Rep. Betty McCollum to prevent child marriage abroad was defeated in the House late last week by Republicans who said the bill might fund abortion. The International Protecting Girls by Preventing Child Marriage Act passed the Senate unanimously early last week without Republican objection. McCollum called the GOP’s efforts to kill the bill “blatant phony arguments.”

Bachmann, Kline: Obama’s not saying ‘God’ enough

By Andy Birkey | 12.07.10 | 9:45 am

Republican Reps. Michele Bachmann and John Kline, as part of the Congressional Prayer Caucus, chastised President Obama for not portraying America as a more Christian-like nation to the rest of the world. In a letter on Monday, the caucus complained that Obama omitted the word “God” five times during his recent trip to Indonesia and called on him to correct the record.

Kline, Paulsen, Peterson vote against middle-class tax relief

By Andy Birkey | 12.03.10 | 9:21 am

Democrat Collin Peterson joined Republican Reps. John Kline, Erik Paulsen and Michele Bachmann in voting against an extension of the Bush tax cuts for those making less than $250,000. The middle-class tax relief measure passed the U.S. House on Thursday by a vote of 234 to 188. Although Bachmann didn’t vote, she had plenty to say about the bill.

With help from Pat Robertson, Bachmann and Kline file brief to repeal health care reform

By Andy Birkey | 11.22.10 | 7:27 am

The American Center for Law and Justice, an evangelical Christian legal group founded by televangelist Pat Robertson, has filed an Amicus brief on behalf of 63 members of Congress — including Minnesota Reps. Michele Bachmann and John Kline — challenging the constitutionality of a provision health care reform legislation that will require all Americans to have health insurance by 2014.

Kline to push for controversial religious school vouchers

By Andy Birkey | 11.11.10 | 11:55 am

Republican Rep. John Kline is likely to chair the powerful House Education and Labor Committee in the new Congress and already he’s drawing fire from both sides of the aisle. Kline caught praise from religious conservatives when he expressed his support for educational vouchers for Washington, DC, parents that will allow them to spend taxpayer money on religious schooling. But he also has drawn the ire of fiscal conservatives by saying he doesn’t intend to push for the elimination of the Department of Education.

Cravaack, Kline back Bachmann’s power bid, national GOP lukewarm

By Andy Birkey | 11.05.10 | 10:13 am

Rep. Michele Bachmann announced her intention to run for the GOP’s fourth most powerful position on Wednesday, the chair of the GOP conference, but she’ll have some competition from Rep. Jeb Hensarling of Texas who has already gained the support from influential Republicans. But at home, the Sixth District congresswoman has picked up some support from her colleagues including Reps. John Kline and the newly elected Rep. Chip Cravaack.