Michele Bachmann: Americans 'Held Up a Big Stop Sign' in Midterms

American voters "held up a big stop sign" with their decision to change the Senate's leadership, retiring Minnesota Republican Rep. Michele Bachmann said Sunday, but she's not sure President Barack Obama got the message.

"They said 'we don't like what's been coming out of Washington, D.C.,' " the tea party favorite said during a panel discussion CNN's "State of the Union" program. "They do want us to move forward; they do want us to get things done."

But by holding up the "stop sign," voters were sending a message, and it's up to lawmakers to implement what the voters want, said Bachmann, and she believes that getting work done is possible with Republicans controlling both chambers of Congress.

"The real question is, did the president listen to what happened Tuesday?" she asked. "It's almost like he had his hands over his ears and didn't listen. The American people said no, [and] the president needs to take measure of that result. It's not about him. It's about the people."

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Bachmann, a one-time candidate who told The Hill last month that she has no plans of seeking the presidential nomination in 2016, also said Sunday that there will be a bipartisan summit to help try to foster a sense of communication between the warring political parties.

"It will be communicating about what we heard on last Tuesday from the American people," said Bachmann. "They do want us to move forward. They do want us to get things done."

Bachmann appeared on a roundtable segment that also featured fellow veteran lawmakers Delaware Democratic Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del. and New York Democratic Rep. Steve Israel, speaking with newly elected Reps. Lee Zeldin, R-N.Y.; Carlos Curbelo, R-Fla.; Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., and Brendan Boyle, D-Pa.

Curbelo and Zeldin both commented that they hope that Republicans' new control of congress will help end some of Washington's gridlock.

"I hope that's the model we can show, and get some bills over the finish line," Curbelo said.

Zeldin, on the other hand, commented that with Obamacare being a large controversy, there are people on both sides of the ticket who want to see improvements.

"The president has to be very careful in working with his colleagues," said Zeldin. "There is no way to get things done if your only version of compromise is getting your own way 100 percent of the time."

Further, Curbelo said that Obama should be patient on immigration reform, and not try to push reform through "when Senate Republicans have shown willingness to do it."


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