Stupak Steps Down

April 9th, 2010: Naftali Bendavid reports in the Wall Street Journal that Congressman Stupak will not run again.  Stupak was the leader of the pro-life democrats in the battle over the health care finance bill.

"Last month, when the House took its final vote on the Senate bill, Mr. Stupak went along with slightly less restrictive language requiring that women write a separate check to their insurer for abortion coverage. He did so with the promise that Mr. Obama would sign his executive order, which he subsequently did. When Mr. Stupak's agreement became known early on the day of the vote, opponents of the health bill knew they'd lost."


"Mr. Stupak, leading a group of other anti-abortion House Democrats, forced Democratic leaders to include strict anti-abortion language in the House health care bill. He ultimately agreed to the slightly less restrictive Senate bill, with the agreement that President Barack Obama would sign an executive order specifying that no federal funds would go to abortion.

"Since then, he has been vilified by both sides. Mr. Stupak has faced unrelenting hostility from the abortion rights community, which sees the new provisions as a major setback for women. Anti-abortion activists have depicted Mr. Stupak as a traitor who caved to Democratic leaders at the last minute."
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