Rep. Michele Bachmann: U.S. won't default

WASHINGTON, May 1 (UPI) -- U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann told "Fox News Sunday," said she doesn't expect the United States to go into default if Congress fails to raise the debt ceiling.

"Who is advocating defaulting? I'm not. No one is advocating defaulting," Bachmann, R-Minn., said. "That's why (Pennsylvania Republican) Senator Pat Toomey and (California Republican) Representative Tom McClintock have a bill that would direct the treasury secretary to first pay off all obligations, and after that, prioritize spending."

Bachmann, leader of the Tea Party Caucus in the House and a potential Republican presidential candidate, said she would only vote to raise the debt ceiling if Congress repeals the Obama healthcare law.

The congresswoman said the deficit reduction plans put forward by Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., and the more drastic one proposed by the Republican Study Committee that she supports are "aspirational documents" that lay out goals, not legislation to be passed as written.

"So, both Paul Ryan and the Republican Study Committee were making very good responsible choices, they're trying to get America's house to balance," she said.