Stupak expressed a desire to support the 2009 health care reform bill put forth by President Obama, but wanted restrictions on coverage for abortion. Therefore, Stupak and Republican Congressman Joseph R. Pitts submitted an amendment known as the Stupak–Pitts Amendment to prohibit such payments. The Stupak–Pitts Amendment was adopted by the House of Representatives, but a similar pro-life provision was defeated in the Senate version of the legislation (known as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act). Stupak announced that he and several other Democratic representatives who supported health reform legislation but opposed abortion would not vote for the final version of the legislation unless the Stupak-Pitts Amendment was included. The ensuing controversy made Stupak "perhaps the single most important rank-and-file House member in passing the bill."