Bart Stupak is a Democratic member of the US House of Representatives from Michigan. In November of 2009, Stupak, along with Republican Joe Pitts introduced the Stupak-Pitts Amendment (often shortened as the "Stupak Amendment") to the Affordable Health Care for America Act. The controversial amendment forbade any use of federal funds to pay for abortion, as well as the use of any federal money to fund health care plans that themselves paid for abortions. It passed through the House of Representatives, along with the rest of the health care bill, on November 7 of that year.

On March 21, 2010, as Democrats raced to secure last-minute votes on a revised health care bill, Health Care & Education Affordability Reconciliation Act of 2010, Stupak announced that he had accepted a deal that would include Obama issuing an Executive Order forbidding any federal funds to be used on abortion procedures in a press conference.http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/88121-stupak-still-a-no-vote-on-healthcare-bill Stupak was an important 216 votes needed by Democrats to pass the historic legislation; the final bill passed the House 219-212.http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/HealthCare/health-care-obama-house-democratic-leaders-confident-votes/story?id=10162080

On April 9, Stupak announced he would not seek re-election, hoping to have more time to spend with his family. Republican critics, including National Republican Congressional Committee communications director Ken Spain attributed the decision to blowback from Stupak's health care vote.http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0410/35585.html

Stupak attended high school in Gladstone, Michigan, graduating in 1970. During his formative years, he was an Eagle Scout.http://www.house.gov/stupak/about_bart.shtml While attending a community college, he worked as a police officer in the city of Escanaba, Michigan.

Stupak eventually earned his law degree from Thomas M. Cooley Law School and became a practicing attorney. In 1988, he was elected a Michigan State Representative and served in the position until 1990. In 1992, he defeated Republican Philip Ruppe to become the Congressional Representative of Michigan's newly-rezoned 1st District. He is currently a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

Stupak is on the Federal Advisory Board of the group "Democrats for Life," which includes a number of Democratic members of the House who routinely vote from a pro-life (or anti-abortion) perspective, and attempt to pull the Democratic Party towards a tougher stance on legalized abortion.http://www.democratsforlife.org/ The group also opposes capital punishment and euthanasia. Other Representatives who are members of the group include James Langevin of Rhode Island, Ben Nelson of Nebraska and Lincoln Davis of Tennessee.