WASHINGTON   –  U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson (MO-08) signed a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi urging the preservation of exact language included in an amendment to the health care bill prohibiting the use of federal funds for abortion in negotiations with the U.S. Senate.  The Stupak Amendment easily cleared the House by a vote of 240-194 during the health care debate two weeks ago with support from both sides of the aisle.

“The House spoke with a strong, bipartisan voice to say that in any health care reform, we need to preserve federal protections that assure no taxpayer dollars will be used to fund the practice of abortion,” Emerson said. “The obligation of protecting the Stupak Amendment rests with the House’s majority leadership, and that responsibility starts at the highest level of Democratic leadership.  This is an important provision to the American people, and it is important to me that it is included in any health care reform legislation that passes Congress.  Health care reform should not be a vehicle for relaxing longstanding provisions which protect the conscience of taxpayers.”

As a member of the House Appropriations committee, Emerson annually works to include legislative language that prohibits the use of federal funds for abortion with few exceptions. 

Though Emerson opposed the passage of H.R. 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act, she did support the Stupak Amendment in its separate vote on passage.