Representative Michele Bachmann sat down with Fox News' Sean Hannity on Thursday and shared that while she would not be running for reelection in Congress, she is not taking any political options off the table.
The interview was her first television appearance since her announcement last week about not seeking re-election for her Congressional seat, and she shared that despite her shortcomings in cosponsoring bills or resolutions, she had a successful run in Congress overall.
Watch the entire interview here.
"I feel like I've done a lot in the eight years that I've been there. I was a very strong voice taking on my own party. I pushed back on the bailout. I was the champion of repealing Obamacare, and also dealing with the issues of the IRS - I have been involved in that as a former IRS attorney," Bachmann said. "On issue after issue dealing with the rise of Islamic jihad, I've been there. But I think there's just a time when you're served and then it's time to move on."
Bachmann also wanted to make it clear that her decision not to continue in Congress - for now - should not be misconstrued, and that her actions do not mean she's going anywhere, raising suspicion that involvement in the 2016 presidential election may be in the cards.
"I'm not retiring. I'm not going silent. I'm not quitting my public involvement," she said. "In fact, I may run for another public office. That could happen. But for now, I think I'm going to find a different perch in order to be able to weigh in on these matters. Sometimes you can be more effective on the outside than on the inside. I've done everything I possibly could on the inside. But I still intend to be in the fight."
Bachmann, the first Republican woman to be elected to the House from Minnesota, announced on her website last week that she would not be seeking a fifth term in Congress, aligning her eight years in office to the eight-year term limits for president.
