Who in Congress Is Helping ACORN Grow?

This is a rush transcript from "Glenn Beck," May 13, 2009. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

GLENN BECK, HOST: Joining me from Washington is Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann, who has kind of found herself in the middle of this because — if I'm not mistaken, Michele, was it last week — you put something in a bill, it passed. Barney Frank then went back in and changed it — on ACORN.

Can you explain?

REP. MICHELE BACHMANN, R-MINN.: Yes, it is in Financial Services Committee.

I offered an amendment that would de-fund any organization who is indicted or convicted of voter fraud to prevent them from having access to taxpayer money, taxpayers grants. Barney Frank accepted the motion. He approved it. There was a voice vote, it was unanimous. And then after that, Barney Frank sent a memo out to his colleagues saying he had made a mistake and he wanted to gut the amendment and he invited his Democrat colleagues to vote against my amendment.

BECK: You know, I have to tell you — I don't know if Barney Frank is in on something, if he is a useful idiot — I mean, I know he believes in a lot of — he believes that every American should have free housing, I believe. But nobody is standing up, Michele, in Washington on the left and really coming out.

I mean, we have the — we have the "ACORN 8." They are still in ACORN.

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BACHMANN: Yes.

BECK: And they're looking for help. They're looking for help. Who's helping them, and why are they not helping them in Washington? Do you have a sense of what's going on?

BACHMANN: Well, we're trying — we're trying to help them. Because my position is this, Glenn, no organization has a right to taxpayer funding. And if you look at ACORN, they have been the recipients of about $53 million in direct funding since 1994. Now, with the stimulus bill and with the last budget bill, there is a potential that ACORN could have access to — get this — over $8 billion potentially, in grants. This is serious money.

BECK: OK. America, so you understand, they are immediately going to say that, no, they're not, but you have to remember the over 200 organizations that are all centered in that.

BACHMANN: That's right.

BECK: ACORN may not go for it, but SEIU may go for it and pass it on.

BACHMANN: That's right.

BECK: It's all going into the same pot.

BACHMANN: That's right.

BECK: Now, we have something here. This is — this is a statement from Marcel Reid. She's the national chair of "ACORN 8." She is the chairperson of ACORN in Washington, D.C.

She says: "The national board of ACORN 8 met last night and has called on all active ACORN members to stop paying their dues immediately until the questions about the finances are answered."

She also — these are both issued just a minute ago. This is breaking news here for — on ACORN. Michelle Reid and Karen Inman, also, asked last week on the program, "Is there anyone at all on Capitol Hill that could help track the money?"

Michelle, will you reach out to these people and help track the money? We have met with these people. I mean, there's so much here and they're begging for anyone on Capitol Hill to help.

BACHMANN: Glenn, tomorrow, I'm having a press conference with one former ACORN member and her attorney. We're asking for an accounting, and we want to make sure that an organization that is under indictment isn't accessing taxpayer money.

And my point last week in Congress is: Will members of Congress stand with ACORN or will they stand with the taxpayer? We have a fiduciary duty to look out for the best interests of taxpayers.

BECK: I know.

BACHMANN: This can't continue.

BECK: OK.

BACHMANN: And so, yes, I'll be happy to go forward. And unfortunately, Jerry Nadler had stopped an investigation that Democrat Congressman John Conyers was calling for.

BECK: Yes.

BACHMANN: But then Congressman Conyers stopped himself. And so, now, there's no hearing on ACORN when exactly there should be.

BECK: He didn't just — he didn't just stop himself. He said exactly what Nadler said before. He was fighting with Nadler.

BACHMANN: Yes.

BECK: And all of a sudden, he adopted Nadler's arguments and came out with a statement.

BACHMANN: And, Glenn, what was amazing — what was amazing is last week, two states handed out indictments against ACORN.

BECK: I know.

BACHMANN: Nevada on Monday, Pennsylvania on Thursday. So, just hours — hot off the presses — before members of Congress were voting against my amendment, they were indicted again.

BECK: Listen, this is not — please, make sure that anybody that you deal with there in Washington understands this is not about votes. This is not about Republicans versus Democrats. This is about corruption. And I'm telling you, this corruption goes all through. This is huge. There's something big here.

BACHMANN: That's exactly right. Yes.

BECK: The other thing is, Michele, I know the person that you are going to have a press conference with tomorrow. I believe her story, but you do know that she was fired from ACORN because she was using the corporate credit card. She was part of, you know, her own little...

BACHMANN: Yes. I would love to have Marcel Reid with us in this press conference tomorrow.

BECK: OK.

BACHMANN: I don't know if she was available or not, but I agree with you.

BECK: OK.

BACHMANN: I understand that there are some questions. The real point is ACORN. We need congressional hearings. We need to get to the bottom of this — because again, there is a potential for access to $8 billion of taxpayer money.

BECK: This is really bad stuff. OK. Thank you very much, Michele. I appreciate it, and congratulations, by the way, on your state of Minnesota.

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