Stupak says he stuck to his guns and feels he did the right thing
MENOMINEE -- For a few weeks last year during the health care debate, the national spotlight was on our Congressman Bart Stupak. Stupak, who supported the bill but with staunch anti-abortion restrictions, says he stuck to his guns and feels he did the right thing.
But he paid for it personally.
Through the weeks of the health care debate, Congressman Stupak's face was splashed across local and national news. The spotlight fell on him because of his stance against abortion...a stance he refused to back down from.
"The burden fell on me to make sure we protect it--our beliefs and that of many Americans--that we should not use public funds for abortion," explained Stupak. "The abortion issue became the issue, it wasn't health care anymore, and so many groups wanted to use the abortion issue, not because they believed in the principals, but because they saw it as a way to defeat health care. The hard part was to stay focused on protecting life and protecting health care."
Ultimately he voted for the bill, with guarantees that it would not pay for abortions. Opponents of the bill were angry with him.
That's when the threats started.
"It was brutal," said Stupak's wife, Laurie Stupak. "The calls that were coming into our office, the calls that were coming into our home, just the tone, the tenor, the vulgarity, profanity...I guess I don't see why they needed to be so cruel, and that was hard."
Stupak's ultimate decision to resign from his seat created even more controversy. But despite reports to the contrary, Stupak says the decision was on the table long before the health care vote.
"All we went through with health care probably reaffirmed the decision that I had been leaning towards--of retiring--and maybe it made it easier to say, alright, I've accomplished everything I wanted to accomplish. Now, it's time to move on," Stupak explained.
And now months after his resignation, Stupak has had time to reflect on his 18 years as a congressman. He's optimistic about the U.P. and about the entire state of Michigan.
"I think we're on the verge of breaking loose on a whole new economy in Michigan, in manufacturing and high tech skills," Stupak said. "We have a very skilled workforce and very skilled people. Our people are our resource, and I think we're second to none when it comes to work ethic, engineering, manufacturing. We're probably the best, and we'll be back on top."
What's next for Stupak? He says he's currently in discussions with Harvard University about conducting a possible fellowship at the John F. Kennedy Political Institute this spring.
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