If it were up to Michele Bachmann, the top 10 Republican presidential candidates participating in tonight’s primary debate would have to field two questions.
Prior to retiring from the U.S. House of Representatives in 2013, Bachmann ran a presidential campaign of her own in 2012. At one point, the Tea Party darling led the eventual GOP nominee, Mitt Romney, in the polls and seemed likely to win the Iowa caucuses. She actually finished sixth.
As a viewer this time around, Bachmann says she would like to see the party’s top candidates discuss U.S. relations with Iran and explain their positions on birthright citizenship.
The Minnesota Republican told the Washington Examiner that if she were moderating the debate, each candidate would have to answer the following:
Bombing the nuclear hardware in Iran would effectively deter the Ayatollah from producing and using nuclear bombs. Are you willing and prepared to take that action after assuming the Presidency?
Will you outlaw giving U.S. citizenship status to babies born to illegal alien parents on U.S. soil?
While illegal immigration has developed into a hot-button issue for the 2016 presidential hopefuls, little attention has been given to children who receive citizenship after being born in the U.S. to illegal-immigrant mothers.
Critics of illegal immigration, including Bachmann, often describe these children as “anchor babies” because of their ability, under the 1965 Immigration and Nationality Act, to sponsor their family members’ entry into the U.S. once they turn 21.
During a campaign appearance in 2011, Bachmann said it is “entirely possible through legislation to stop the anchor baby problem” and claimed that hospitals have gone bankrupt because they couldn’t afford to cover the illegal-immigrant mothers’ unpaid delivery bills.
The other issue Bachmann hopes to see discussed is Iran’s nuclear program. Every candidate included in tonight’s prime-time debate has condemned the Obama administration’s agreement with Iran, but Bachmann wants to know whether they would be willing to launch military strikes against Iran to hinder its development of nuclear weapons.
Unlike birthright citizenship, most of the candidates have publicized their positions on the Iran deal since it was unveiled in mid-July.
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz have both said they would consider taking military action against Iran if elected president and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio recently attributed Iran’s ability to “win so many concessions” to President Obama’s decision to take military force off the table during negotiations.
The first primary debate, co-hosted by Fox News and Facebook, will take place tonight at 9 p.m. EST in Cleveland, Ohio. Fox News announced Tuesday that the 10 candidates eligible for prime-time debate are: Donald Trump, Jeb Bush, Scott Walker, Mike Huckabee, Ben Carson, Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, Rand Paul, Chris Christie and John Kasich.
