Thread: Rep. Bart Stupak to Retire

Updated April 09, 2010
Rep. Bart Stupak to Retire

AP

Michigan Democratic Rep. Bart Stupak, who was the central figure in the abortion debate surrounding the health care law, will retire from Congress at the end of this term.

Sunday: Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Mich., holds up an executive order to be signed by President Obama reaffirming a ban on the use of federal funds to provide abortions, an order Stupak says is enough to win his vote to pass the health insurance overhaul. (AP Photo)

Michigan Democratic Rep. Bart Stupak, who was the central figure in the abortion debate surrounding the health care law, will retire from Congress at the end of this term.

Stupak, who's been in Congress for 18 years, will make the announcement at a 12:30 p.m. ET press conference in Marquette, Mich.

Stupak told The Associated Press that attacks on him for his role in the abortion debate did not influence his decision and he could win re-election if he tried.

Stupak was a lightning rod in the debate over abortion provisions contained in the health care feud. Abortion language in the House bill was deemed the Stupak amendment because it provided clear rules that federal funding could not be used by insurance companies to pay for abortions.

But the bill that became law adopted language found in the Senate bill and President Obama signed an executive order to accompany it stating administration policy is to not use public funds for abortion coverage.


Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Mich., arrives at the Democratic Caucus on Capitol Hill in Washington, Friday, March 19, 2010.(AP)
In the final analysis, the left accused Stupak of attempting to make abortion access more difficult while the right said he caved at the last minute by agreeing to weaker Senate provisions.

President Obama called Stupak on Wednesday to talk him out of retiring, Fox News learned.

As much as Stupak claimed he was a good candidate for re-election, he may be among the first casualties of the law, which has not gained traction among Americans who roundly disapproved of it throughout debate, in part because of its massive price tag.

The Tea Party Express, a group who opposed the federal spending, has been calling for Stupak's defeat at rallies in his sprawling northern Michigan district this week. It has also issued several television and radio ads in his district.

On Friday, the Tea Party Express credited its influence for "defeating" Stupak.

"The surprising announcement that Congressman Bart Stupak is abandoning his campaign for reelection shows the power of the tea party movement," the group's political director, Bryan Shroyer, said in a statement.

"Stupak was no longer able to hide his betrayal of conservative principles because the tea party movement was determined to educate the voters in the district," he said.

Republican doctor Dan Benishek has announced he would challenge Stupak in the election. Now, Democratic leaders may look to Charlevoix County Commissioner Connie Saltonstall to take Stupak's place as the Democratic nominee.

Some Democratic officials have suggested they prefer Stupak stay in office through the end of his term rather than announce his resignation on Thursday so that they do not have to fight another special election this year.

A special election for the U.S. Senate held by thoroughly blue Massachusetts went to Republican Scott Brown in January while Democrats are also working on mid-season races to save seats formerly held by resigning Reps. Robert Wexler, Neil Abercrombie and Eric Massa and the late Rep. John Murtha.

The National Republican Campaign Committee issued a statement saying that Stupak decided to drop out "after selling his soul to (House Speaker) Nancy Pelosi" and more lawmakers are likely to pay the price of passing the health insurance overhaul.

"The political fallout over the Democrats' government takeover of health care has put the political careers of many Democrats in jeopardy thanks in-part to Stupak's decision to abandon his alleged pro-life principles. Unfortunately for Pelosi, she was unable to strong-arm Stupak one last time as she becomes increasingly aware of the fact that her hold on the speaker's gavel is loosening by the day," NRCC spokesman Ken Spain said in a statement.

Late last month, Stupak told the Catholic News Agency that had it not been for his fight for restrictions, "the speaker could have passed this bill without us, and then you would have a bill laden with federal government funding for abortion, especially federally funded health centers."

He added that pro-life groups who objected to his decision to support the bill weren't interested in preventing abortion as much as preventing the bill from passing.

"National Right to Life ... I think they were more interested in defeating the health care bill, no matter what it costs," he told CNA in an interview published March 26.

Stupak told the AP he wants to spend more time with his family and start a new career after nine terms in Congress.

Fox News' Chad Pergram and Dominique Pastre and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/04 ... ak-retire/

Rep. Bart Stupak to retire, putting seat in play

By MIKE ALLEN & JOSH KRAUSHAAR | 4/9/10 8:47 AM EDT

Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.), who had a central role in the health reform fight as the leader of anti-abortion Democrats, plans to announce Friday that he will not run for reelection, a Democratic official said. Without Stupak on the ballot, the seat becomes an immediate pickup opportunity for Republicans.

"Now with health care done, he’s retiring," a friend said. "He has thought about retiring for the last three cycles, but was always talked into staying: to elect John Kerry to help end the war, to elect a Democratic majority to get health care done."

President Barack Obama called Stupak on Wednesday and asked him not to retire. Stupak, 58, also resisted entreaties from Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Rep. John Dingell (D-Mich.), the dean of the Wolverine State delegation.

Republicans immediately attributed Stupak's decision to step down as a direct consequence of his health care vote.

“After selling his soul to Nancy Pelosi, it appears that Bart Stupak finally found the courage to tell her no," said Ken Spain, communications director of the National Republican Congressional Committee. "The political fallout over the Democrats’ government takeover of health care has put the political careers of many Democrats in jeopardy thanks in part to Stupak’s decision to abandon his alleged pro-life principles."

Republicans believe that other pro-life Democrats, suh freshman Reps. Steve Driehaus (D-Ohio) and Kathy Dahlkemper (D-Pa.), will also face serious trouble because of their support for the health care legislation without strict anti-abortion provisions.

Stupak plans to continue to live in the district, the Democratic official said. He plans to say that as he opens a new chapter, he will continue to serve the people of the 1st District, just not as their congressman.

Friends said Stupak was not leaving because of the health fight but because of the exertion that would be required to hold his sprawling Upper Peninsula District. He made the final decision during a conversation with his family while in Indianapolis to root for Michigan State in its Final Four basketball game.

The Upper Peninsula seat gave President Obama just 50 percent of the vote, and supported former President Bush in 2004 with 53 percent. But Stupak never had faced difficulty winning reelection, always prevailing with at least 57 percent of the vote since he was first elected in 1992.

This year was shaping up to be a different story, with Stupak becoming a leading target on both his left and right flanks. Abortion rights supporters were rallying behind Charlevoix County Commissioner Connie Saltonstall after Stupak insisted on pro-life language being inserted in the health care legislation.

The Tea Party Express caravan, stopped in Stupak's Upper Peninsula district last night to protest his health care vote as part of a concerted attempt to oust the incumbent. The group had named Stupak as one of its leading targets.

The friend said he believes he would have won, and added: "More than 95 percent of the opposition from left and right has come from outside of his district."

And Republicans have rallied around surgeon Dan Benishek, a tea party favorite, who received very little attention until Stupak voted for the health care legislation even without receiving anti-abortion language in the bill itself. Benishek is expected to raise over $100,000 this quarter, according to GOP sources, a large amount for a first-time candidate who had virtually no campaign infrastructure before Stupak received national attention over his health care positioning.

Democrats who could hold the seat include state senator Jim Barcia (a former congressman), Mike Prusi and Gary McDowell, and state Reps. Joel Sheltrown and Jeff Mayes.


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