Rep. Issa's religious liberty circus

Idiot Issa

The chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, Darrell Issa (R-CA) held a hearing on religious liberty and the birth control rule on Thursday. The morning panel consisted of all men, all religious conservatives. All one viewpoint and all incredibly politically partisan.

Although democrats had requested that a third-year law school student testify on behalf of the president's policy, Issa refused to let her participate, claiming that she was not qualified or appropriate. The student, Sandra Fluke, has supported the administration's decision not to exempt religious employers from having to offer birth control to their employees through health insurance. She has a personal story to tell, too. When Delegate Eleanor Holmes-Norton (D-D.C.) and other democratic delegates walked out of the hearing in protest, she encouraged Fluke to talk to reporters.

"Fluke began to cry as she told the story of her 32-year-old friend who was diagnosed with ovarian cysts and prescribed birth control pills as the only remedy for her condition that could save her from becoming infertile. Because her student insurance did not cover contraception, Fluke's friend could not afford her medication, and she eventually lost her ovary and began experiencing symptoms of early menopause. 'Those are the consequences of this policy, and those are the voices the chairman silenced today,' Fluke said." (Huffington Post)

All male religious panel

As Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) demanded to Issa before walking out, "What I want to know is, where are the women? I look at this panel, and I don't see one single individual representing the tens of millions of women across the country who want and need insurance coverage for basic preventative health care services, including family planning. Where are the women?"


Are you incensed like I am? Make your opinions known by sending Issa an e-mail. This is the one I just sent:

You've got to be kidding me. Convening a hearing on "religious liberty and birth control" without including one single person to represent the "minority" position? You are supposed to be representing your constituency, at least 1/2 of which are women. The Guttmacher Institute has determined that 99 percent of American women, including 98 percent of Catholic women, have used birth control. Your "hearing" is completely biased and unfair to all Americans.

Birth control should not be discussed exclusively by MEN!!! Women are the ones who take primary responsibility for birth control and they certainly are the ones who have their lives changed if they have no access to affordable birth control and health care.


What century are you living in, exactly?