Stupak's Health Legacy Goes Beyond Abortion Battles

1:15

April 9, 2010

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Rep. Bart Stupak of Michigan, who said he won't run for reelection, holds up a tomato at a 2008 hearing on a salmonella outbreak. (Susan Walsh/AP)

Rep. Bart Stupak of Michigan, who said he won't run for reelection, holds up a tomato at a 2008 hearing on a salmonella outbreak. (Susan Walsh/AP)

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By Julie Rovner

When staunch abortion opponent Rep. Bart Stupak of Michigan said today that he would retire at the end of this year after 9 terms in Congress, he said: "My main legislative goal was accomplished," referring to health care overhaul.

But he will no doubt be remembered for his thorny but pivotal role as the guy who almost took down that bill over abortion funding.

However, the abortion fight was not this former state trooper's full rap sheet on health matters. He leaves a legacy of collaring the Food and Drug Administration over its lax drug warnings and weak oversight of food safety, too.

So let's get the abortion rehash out of the way first. Back in November, Stupak won language in the House-passed bill that would not merely ban federal abortion funding, but, according to many abortion-rights groups, would have scaled back private abortion funding as well.

That language was modified in the Senate, and Stupak, not wanting to kill the health bill, but neither wanting to compromise his career-long anti-abortion values and voting record, cut an eleventh-hour deal with President Obama.

Under that deal, the President would issue an executive order promising not to interpret the Senate bill to allow any federal abortion funding. Stupak and the band of anti-abortion Democrats said they were satisfied no abortions would be federally subsidized under the new law, and voted for the bill.

Anti-abortion groups, however, were not convinced.

But Stupak leaves a much broader legacy as a member and then the chairman of the powerful oversight subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. From that perch he presided over dozens of hearings and investigations, most of them aimed at FDA's shortcomings.

Stupak didn't exactly come at the FDA with a neutral viewpoint. In May of 2000, Stupak's 17 year-old son B.J., committed suicide while taking the acne drug Accutane. That led Stupak to launch a crusade to get the agency to strengthen the warnings about suicidal thoughts associated with some who take the drug.

After taking over the helm of the powerful investigatory subcommittee in 2006, Stupak used his dogged, if a bit plodding, style to play Javert to the FDA's Jean Valjean.

He took the FDA to task for alleged conflicts of interest, for failure to do its job in policing everything from poisoned spinach and peanut butter to the tainted blood thinner heparin.

Stupak played a significant role in the passage of the 2007 law that revamped FDA's food and drug safety powers.

Those accomplishments, however, will almost certainly be overshadowed by the more recent fireworks over abortion.

categories: Health Overhaul

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Abortion Foe Stupak Two Leave Congress

Author Julie RovnerApril 9, 2010Listen to StoryAll Things included [2 min 9 s] add to PlaylistDownload text sizeAAAApril 9, 2010.

Michigan Democrat Bart Stupak announced his retirement today after playing a key role as an opponent of Abortion in the passage of the new health care law.

Copyright © 2010 National public radio ®.Personal, non-commercial use only. See terms of use for other uses, prior authorization required.

MELISSA BLOCK, host:

It is another pension, other large Washington story today.And that is the transition to retirement Michigan Democratic congressman Bart Stupak,. He was facing challenges with candidates on both sides of the debate on abortion and announced today that it will not work on 10th term.

First, we're going to hear more on this story from NPR's Julie Rovner.

JULIE ROVNER: Stupak represents your entire swath of Northern State, socially conservative, but politically moderate zone were his pro universal healthcare credentials, anti-abortion have served him well for most of the last two decades in fact said in a news conference in Marquette, his voice to push new right care over the finish line helped persuade it to order early.

Representative BART STUPAK (Democrat, Michigan: After 18 years, we have already achieved what you send me to Washington to do: health care for all Americans.

ROVNER: Besides Stupak came close to not vote for the Bill. He voted last November for BOM House only after adding hotfixes to impose strict restrictions on abortion.It was great to causes anti-abortion.And it almost immediately drew primary challenge from Democrat who supports abortion rights.

However, the language's Stupak not survive was considered to be more restrictive than current law and cropped when you return to the Senate. Now in Senate abortion language displeased both sides, like many compromises and vote's Stupak was probably needed to pass the Bill, when they returned home last month But wanted to vote for him. I just hours before the historic vote, Stupak residing transaction with President Obama. Would vote for the Bill. The President promised to not interpret the new law to allow more federal funding for abortion, than at present.

Still groups anti-abortion dubbing, traitor to cause him.Dan Benishek is doctor of Michigan's Upper Peninsula, which acts as a Republican in the district's Stupak.

Dr. DAN BENISHEK (surgeon, Michigan first candidate, Republican District): After defining himself as the great cause of pro-life to bail on weak excuse is unbelievable to me.

ROVNER: Most pundits agree Stupak probably could have kept his seat, but former State trooper said he simply tired fight.

Julie Rovner, NPR news in Washington.

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