WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. House of Representatives on Saturday adopted an amendment offered by U.S. Congressman Bart Stupak (D-MI) to apply the long-standing prohibition on federal funding of abortion to health care reform legislation (H.R. 3962).  The Stupak-Ellsworth-Pitts-Smith-Kaptur-Dahlkemper Amendment, which mirrors the existing federal policy known as the Hyde Amendment, prohibits the use of federal funding for abortion under the public health insurance option and prohibits the use of federal affordability credits to purchase a health insurance policy that covers abortion.  The amendment passed the House in a bipartisan vote of 240 to 194.  Stupak released the following statement:

“Today all members of Congress were afforded the opportunity to vote their conscience and represent the wishes of their constituents on the issue of federal funding for abortion,” Stupak said.  “Passage of the Stupak Amendment does not impose a new federal abortion policy; it simply continues what has been the law of the land since 1977 and I am pleased that with the addition of this amendment the House health care reform bill will continue that policy.”

“I have long been an advocate of health care reform.  My goal has always been to ensure that the voices of the majority of Americans who oppose federal funding for abortion were heard in this important debate.  Now that those voices have been heard we must move forward and pass a bill that provides quality, affordable health care for all Americans.  I thank Speaker Pelosi for allowing this important vote to occur and I appreciate the hard work and perseverance of my pro-life colleagues in Congress who held strong and stood with me over the past several months as we worked to find a way to allow this vote against all odds.”

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