Stupak attends Executive Order signing

At a White House ceremony on Wednesday, Mar. 24, President Obama signs the Executive Order assuring no taxpayer dollars will go toward abortions in the new health care legislation. U.S. Congressman Bart Stupak (D-Menominee) (standing, left of President Obama) led pro-life Democrats in negotiating the Executive Order. (Photo Courtesy of The White House)

WASHINGTON, DC -- U.S. Congressman Bart Stupak (D-Menominee) attended the Executive Order signing at the White House Wednesday afternoon, Mar. 24, 2010, as a guest of President Obama. The president’s Executive Order maintains the Hyde language that states that no taxpayer dollars will be used to pay for abortion under the new health care reform legislation.

"President Obama made a commitment in September that the health care reform legislation would maintain current law of no public funding of abortion," Stupak said. "Today the president signed an Executive Order and gave his iron-clad commitment that Hyde language will be enforced in the health care reform bill. I was honored to attend today’s Executive Order signing, and am proud to have voted in favor of health care legislation that will provide 32 million uninsured Americans with access to affordable health care."

The president’s Executive Order has full force of law and makes clear that current law of no public funding for abortion applies to H.R. 3590, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The Executive Order states, "The Act [the new health care reform legislation] maintains current Hyde amendment restrictions governing abortion policy and extends those restrictions to the newly-created health insurance exchanges." Without this Executive Order a loophole in H.R. 3590 would have left the door open to federally funded abortion services in community health clinics.

Throughout history, Executive Orders have been an important means of implementing public policy. In 2007, George W. Bush signed Executive Order 13435 restricting embryonic stem cell research -- a pro-life policy that was applauded and welcomed by the pro-life community. These same groups have been opposed to President Obama’s pro-life Executive Order.

Some have also criticized the general provisions section of Executive Order saying the language would prevent the Executive Order from having force of law in the courts. Yet the language that critics point to is standard language with any Executive Order, including President Bush’s ban on embryonic stem cell research. Again, these same pro-life groups did not express concern over the language under President Bush, yet claim it is unacceptable under President Obama.

"This Executive Order protects the sanctity of life," Stupak said. "It is disingenuous for pro-life groups who cheered President Bush’s embryonic stem cell Executive Order to now claim President Obama’s Executive Order maintaining the Hyde language in the health care reform bill is not worth the paper it is printed on."

In addition to the Executive Order, Stupak engaged in a colloquy on the House floor with Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Henry Waxman to further enter into the record Congress’ intent that the Hyde provisions of no public funding for abortion will apply to the health care reform legislation.

"Together, the Executive Order and the colloquy, provide strong assurances that there will be no taxpayer dollars going toward abortion in the health care reform legislation," Stupak said. "Today’s signing was the culmination of many months of hard work to pass legislation that provided our nation with much-needed health care reform while protecting the sanctity of life. I was proud to stand up for this principle today with my Democratic pro-life colleagues and President Obama as he signed this Executive Order."