House approves Stupak amendment in major pro-life victory

November 09, 2009

In a pro-life legislative victory that both sides are calling the most significant since the ban on partial-birth abortion, the House of Representatives voted 240-194 on November 7 to bar the use of federal funds from paying for most abortions in its health care reform legislation. The passage of the Stupak amendment-- more properly, the Stupak-Ellsworth-Pitts-Kaptur-Dahlkemper-Lipinski-Smith Amendment-- took place after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi decided to permit a vote on the measure.

The Stupak amendment, noted Cardinal Justin Rigali and Bishop William Murphy, “will keep in place current federal law on abortion funding and conscience protections.” Reflecting the current language of the Hyde Amendment, the bill would permit the federal funding of abortions in the cases of rape, incest, or danger to the life of the mother.

The future of the Stupak amendment is uncertain. If the Senate passes health care reform legislation, a conference committee will decide the amendment’s fate.

Following the passage of the Stupak amendment, the House of Representatives passed its health care reform legislation in a 220-215 vote. The Affordable Health Care for America Act (H.R. 3962) is estimated to cost $1.2 trillion over ten years.

 

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Further information:

• House Passes Stupak Amendment to Remove Abortion Funding From Health Care (LifeNews.com)
• House backs anti-abortion amendment (Reuters)
• US House of Representatives Passes Healthcare Reform Bill (Vatican Radio)
• For Opponents of Abortion, a Victory in Health Care Vote (New York Times)
• Healthcare bill faces tough path in Senate (Reuters)
• Bishops Urge Passage of Stupak-Ellsworth Anti-Abortion Amendment for Health Reform Bill (USCCB)
• Bishops To House: Keep Abortion Funding Out Of Health Care Reform, Make Health Care Available To Vulnerable (USCCB)
• Pro-lifers battle Pelosi as health-care reform faces critical test (CWN, 11/06)