Minnesota Representative Michele
Bachmann on Friday thanked proponents of banning gay marriage.
Bachmann, who is often cited as eyeing
a bid for the GOP nomination for president, made her remarks in a
speech at the Faith and Freedom Coalition conference in Washington.
The 55-year-old House Tea Party caucus
chairman recounted her previous efforts as a Minnesota state senator
to approve an amendment that would define marriage as a heterosexual
union in the Minnesota Constitution and praised current lawmakers who
have sent such a question for voters to approve in 2012. (Related:
Bachmann
says that God told her to sponsor the amendment.)
“Minnesota is the first state that
has decided that this issue will be on the ballot in 2012, the state
of New Hampshire will be taking this issue up as well, and other
states. This is the time. And so I want to encourage all of you at
home, if you don’t have a similar amendment, consider this in your
home states. I believe this is the time to do it. So I just want to
say thank you to those who continue to carry that torch.” (The
video is embedded in the right panel of this page.)
Lawmakers in North
Carolina are expected to debate a similar amendment during a special
session in September.