Bachmann: Pelosi's claims of GOP war on women "pathetic" As the House readies to vote on a GOP plan to freeze federal student loan rates for a year, Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) on Thursday fired back at Democratic claims that the proposal constitutes a "war on women," calling the argument "pathetic." Rep. Michele Bachmann tears a page from the national health care bill during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol, March 21, 2012 in Washington, D.C. (Win McNamee - Getty Images) House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi "wants to continue this fiction that every Democratic messenger is trying to put forward, which is there is a war on women," Bachmann told Fox Business Network's Neil Cavuto Thursday night. There is no war on women. ... That's what Nancy Pelosi is trying to do, because she's trying to reach the all-important woman voter. Pelosi and other Democrats have argued that because the GOP's plan to pay the $6 billion cost of extending the current Stafford loan rates includes rescinding monies from part of the national health care overhaul, the proposal represents the latest instance of Republicans taking aim at women. But unmentioned by Democrats is the fact that a year-long payroll tax deal agreed to earlier this year also took away some funding from the same part of the national health care law. The House is expected to vote on the GOP plan later Friday. Democrats favor a plan that they say would close some tax loopholes, a proposal that Republicans oppose. The shots fired over the student loan plan are the latest sign that Democratic efforts to put the GOP on defense among women voters aren't about to die down anytime soon. While polls show President Obama leading Mitt Romney among women overall, Bachmann pointed out Thursday night that married women favor Republicans. Attempts to reach Pelosi's office for comment were not immediately successful.