Biography of U.S. Representative Bart Stupak
Stupak is a member of the prestigious House
Energy and Commerce Committee. Since the Energy and Commerce Committee is
an exclusive committee, it is the only committee on which Stupak is allowed to serve. The
Commerce Committee, the first U.S. House committee, was formed in 1795 and is
the only Committee referenced in the United States Constitution. It was
originally formed to protect the commerce clause and regulate foreign commerce.
Within the Commerce Committee, Stupak serves as the Chairman of the Oversight and Investigation
Subcommittee (commonly referred to as “O&I;”). Throughout 2006, as the top Democrat on the
Subcommittee, Stupak helped spearhead investigations into high-profile issues like online
child pornography, security breaches at U.S. nuclear labs, the 2006 Hewlett-Packard pretexting
scandal and the BP pipeline rupture at Prudhoe Bay. Stupak’s law enforcement background and
his work as an attorney make him uniquely qualified to chair the Oversight and Investigations
Subcommittee, a position he obtained in January of 2007.
On the Energy and Commerce Committee, Stupak serves on the Telecommunications and the Internet
Subcommittee and the Environment and Hazardous Waste Subcommittee.
A national publication has estimated that 60 percent of all legislation that goes through the
U.S. House of Representatives passes through the Energy and Commerce Committee. Congressman
Stupak's committee assignment allows him to greatly shape legislation that affects all Americans,
including northern Michigan residents, from Medicare and prescription drug bills to rural health
care and telemedicine measures to legislation affecting energy availability and prices.
An Upper Peninsula native and the Congressional representative of the longest shoreline within the
continental United States, Stupak has been a leader on Great Lakes issues. He was the first elected
official to raise the issue of combating bulk sales or diversions of Great Lakes water, which he
raised during the 1993 NAFTA debate. He has been invited to speak to national forums on water diversion issues.
Besides his Committee work in the 109th Congress (2005-2006), Stupak took a lead role in Congress on the
issue of Coast Guard live-fire exercises on the Great Lakes. Ultimately, the Coast Guard withdrew its
proposal for live fire exercises.
Stupak has made protecting the Great Lakes one of his signature priorities. He was the first elected
official to oppose drilling for oil and gas in and under the Great Lakes, a position he began publicly
advocating in 1997. He was also the first to author legislation to ban this procedure initiating the effort
that led to the U.S. Congress imposing a temporary ban on the practice. The Michigan House and Senate reversed
themselves and followed Stupak's lead and voted to ban drilling at the state level. Stupak continues to press
the state of Michigan for adoption of a comprehensive water use plan for the entire state that includes all
surface and groundwater sources. In 2005, Stupak’s years of work on the issue paid off as he achieved a major
victory when a permanent federal ban on new drilling for oil and gas in and under the Great Lakes was enacted into law.
Stupak achieved another major clean water victory in 2005 when the House overwhelmingly passed his legislation
to block the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from finalizing their proposal to allow partially treated
human waste to be dumped into our waterways.
Stupak is a recognized leader in Congress on energy issues. In the 109th Congress, he authored legislation that would
instruct the Federal Trade Commission to crack down on gas price gouging. In the spring of 2006, when gas prices soared
to record levels, the House Democratic Leadership called on Stupak to deliver the Democratic response to the President’s
weekly radio address.
Acknowledging Congressman Stupak's investigative experience and his ability to work in a bipartisan manner, for the
past three terms of Congress, Democratic Leaders have named him to the small pool of Members of Congress who may be
called upon to investigate other members of the U.S. House for potential ethics violations. In the selection of Stupak,
Leaders cite his sense of justice and fair play, knowledge of the House and its procedures, and an ability to rise above
partisanship, as well as his law enforcement background.
Stupak began his career in public service as an Escanaba police officer in 1972. Continuing his career in law enforcement,
Stupak served as a Michigan State Trooper from 1973 to 1984. Stupak was injured in the line of duty and was medically
retired from the state police in 1984. He has also served Northern Michigan residents as an attorney and as a State
Representative in 1989-90, representing Menominee, Delta and Dickinson counties.
Stupak's 12 years of experience as a police officer have allowed him to take a lead role on law enforcement issues in
Congress. He is a founder and co-chair of the Congressional Law Enforcement Caucus, a bipartisan organization of more
than 100 House members, which provides our nation's law enforcement community with an avenue to participate in the
legislative process. He has been an ardent supporter in the U.S. House of the COPS program and of the men and women
who serve in our local, state and federal law enforcement agencies.
In response to the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, Stupak was named to the Democratic Caucus Task Force on
Homeland Security. He currently serves as a member of a task force subgroup, the Domestic Law Enforcement Working
Group. In that forum and through legislation he sponsored he has fervently sought to train and equip local law
enforcement and other first responders to be better prepared for potential bioterrorism attacks and other terrorist
incidents. Stupak has been a lead advocate for ensuring local law enforcement and first responders have “interoperable”
communications, or radios that can communicate across different jurisdictions. The communications interoperability issue
received widespread public attention after 9-11 attacks when communications failures resulted in the deaths of hundreds of
firemen in the World Trade Center.
Due to the First Congressional District’s position along America’s northern border to Canada and Stupak’s fervent work
on northern border issues, Stupak remains the co-chair of the Congressional Northern Border Caucus. His work toward
promoting border security while working to preserve the vitality of cross-border trade and travel earned him the
Canadian/ American Border Trade Alliance (Can/Am BTA) top honor for his “leadership and the positive difference it makes.”
A graduate of Gladstone High School, Congressman Stupak holds a Juris Doctorate degree from Thomas M. Cooley Law School,
in Lansing, Michigan. He earned his Bachelor's Degree in Criminal Justice from Saginaw Valley State University in 1977,
graduating magna cum laude, and he earned his Associate's Degree from Northwestern Michigan Community College in Traverse City
in 1972.
Bart was born on February 29, 1952. He lives in Menominee, Michigan, with his wife, Laurie. Their son, Ken, graduated from
Pepperdine University School of Law in 2006 and resides in California. The Stupaks also had a son, Bart Jr., who died in
May 2000.
Congressman Bart Stupak - Recent Honors and Awards
2007- National Telecommunications Cooperative Association’s Congressional Leadership Award
“This award is not given routinely or lightly or very often. It is truly reserved for those who
recognize rural communications needs and act accordingly to ensure they are met.” – Michael Brunner,
Chief Executive Officer of National Telecommunications Cooperative Association
2007- National Rural Health Association’s “Rural Health Champion”
“In his 14 years serving the 1st District of Michigan, Representative Bart Stupak has been a tireless advocate for his
rural constituents, rural health care providers and the patients they serve. It is fitting that the representative of
the second largest district east of the Mississippi would be such a great friend to rural health.” - Alan Morgan,
Chief Executive Officer of the National Rural Health Association.
2006- Michigan Sheriff’s Association’s first ever “Federal Legislator of the Year Award”
“He has led fights to provide additional funding for Byrne Grants; supported the COPS program; passed resolutions
honoring National Night Out; spoken at National Law Enforcement Memorial services; fought for funding to make
communications for local law enforcement and first responders interoperable; and more. This is the first time MSA has
recognized a federal legislator for this award.” -Terrence Jungel, Executive Director of the Michigan Sheriff’s Association.
2005- American Rivers’ “Legislator of the Year Award.” Presented to the Congressman to honor his work preventing
untreated sewage from being discharged into American waterways.
2005- Michigan Credit Union League Federal (MCUL) “Legislator of the Year”
“Congressman Stupak has been an incredible advocate on many of the issues important to credit unions in Michigan.”
–Patrick LaPine, Government Affairs Vice President, Michigan Credit Union League
2003- The Great Lakes Maritime Task Force’s Great Lakes Legislator of the Year award
“Great Lakes deserve great legislators, and Congressman Stupak certainly fills that bill. From his first days in
Congress, he has recognized the important contributions Lakes shipping makes to Michigan’s economy and the country’s
national defense capabilities. Just as it takes skilled American mariners to ease a 1,000 foot freighter into the
Poe Lock, it takes skilled legislators like Bart Stupak to promote Great Lakes shipping in Washington.” John Baker,
the President of the Great Lakes Maritime Task Force, John Baker, said,
2003- American Forest & Paper Association’s (AF&PA;) “Friend of the Forest and Paper Industry”
“Bart Stupak has an excellent understanding of the environment and our industry, and has demonstrated strong support on
our issues. Whether we are working together to improve forest health, enhance wildlife habitat, lower taxes, or keep jobs
in Michigan, we know we can count on Bart to be a champion for us.”
-W. Henson Moore, President and CEO of AF&PA;
