Witness Hits Back At Issa: ‘I’m A Woman Who Uses Contraception, That Makes Me Qualified’ To Testify
Female Witness Hits Back At Issa: Im A Woman Who Uses Contraception, That Makes Me Qualified To Testify
By Igor Volsky on Feb 23, 2012 at 12:14 pm
Democrats on the House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee held a special hearing Thursday morning in response to the GOPs decision to prevent women from testifying in support of an Obama administration rule requiring employers to provide birth control without additional cost sharing. The committee invited just one witness, Sandra Fluke, the third year Georgetown Law student, who House Oversight Committee Chairman Darrell Issa (R-CA) dismissed as an energized college student who was not appropriate and qualified to testify before his committee.
Democrats received over 300,000 requests for women to testify on the issue, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) said during todays hearing, and the GOPs male-only contraception hearing was widely spoofed in the press and on late-night comedy shows. Fluke herself responded to Issas snub in jest, noting, Well, I will confirm that I was energized, yes she said to laughter from the committee, as you can see from the reaction behind me, many women in this country are energized about this issue. Im an American woman who uses contraception, so lets start right there. That makes me qualified to talk to my elected officials about my health care needs, she added.
In her testimony, Fluke reiterated the story of her friend who was denied contraception coverage from Georgetown, despite technically qualifying for an exception that provided students who use birth control for health reasons with the benefit, and had to undergo invasive surgery. She also highlighted the confusion such policies cause, noting that while Catholic employers may claim that their insurance plans include loopholes for women who use birth control for non-reproductive purposes, beneficiaries still interpret the policy as a blanket exclusion of reproductive health benefits. One woman, for instance, did not seek medical treatment after being raped because she believed Georgetown did not provide coverage for womens sexual health care:
FLUKE: One student told us that she knew birth control wasnt covered, and she assumed thats how Georgetowns insurance handled all of womens sexual healthcare, so when she was raped, she didnt go to the doctor even to be examined or tested for sexually transmitted infections because she thought insurance wasnt going to cover something like that, something that was related to a womans reproductive health.
http://thinkprogress.org/health/2012/02/23/431293/female-witness-hits-back-at-issa-im-a-woman-who-uses-contraception-that-makes-me-qualified-to-testify/
Javaman
(62,394 posts)primavera
(5,191 posts)Javaman
(62,394 posts)DonCoquixote
(13,615 posts)This is exactly what America should be about; the ability of a comon person to put the pwerful and ignorant in their place.
Roland99
(53,342 posts)liberal N proud
(60,289 posts)DirkGently
(12,151 posts)Enough of the free ride for any heinous notion that can be found in someone's holy book. This idea, this notion that women are permitted to have sex to make babies for husbands, and otherwise are to be shamed and humiliated and attacked is EVIL.
If God said it, God is evil. If a political candidate supports it, they are promoting evil. It's not any less so because it's a traditional evil or a theological evil. If this idea is in your book, your book is evil. If it's the core of your religion, your religion is evil.
People can use birth control, period. Women may abort a pregnancy. Whomever is tasked with providing healthcare, be it employers or insurance companies or the government, must provide access to ALL healthcare.
Enough of these bryl-creamed peverts and their knowing smirks and sweaty palms and bullshit ancient texts.
Fuck. Them.
MACARD
(105 posts)If I am a Member of a Cult It is Part of My religious freedom to bring innocent children to their death with me.
MURDER IS COVERED UNDER THE FIRST AMENDMENT TIME TO GO ON A KILLING SPREE!!!!! (sarcasm)
BlancheSplanchnik
(20,219 posts)AND a front page essay on all the blogs!!!!!!!!!
DU it!!! And be sure to let us all know, so we can stand behind you and support it!
Make it viral!
AllyCat
(15,987 posts)If they believe in this mean god that is "all-loving" while advocating horrible things to others, their god is evil.
SomeGuyInEagan
(1,515 posts)Thank you.
IndyJones
(1,068 posts)Justice wanted
(2,657 posts)SemperEadem
(8,053 posts)Justice wanted
(2,657 posts)tavalon
(27,985 posts)The title of the segments are The Punanny State. It's the only way I can keep up without my blood pressure going up.
Justice wanted
(2,657 posts)SemperEadem
(8,053 posts)Justice wanted
(2,657 posts)Zalatix
(8,994 posts)Bet he doesn't have the balls to say she's not qualified... to her face.
Uncle Joe
(58,029 posts)Thanks for the thread, kpete.
xxqqqzme
(14,887 posts)their religion restricts MY freedoms?
Justice wanted
(2,657 posts)xxqqqzme
(14,887 posts)have to adjust my inner dictionary.
Justice wanted
(2,657 posts)at a hearing dealing with OUR bodies.
christx30
(6,241 posts)forbids the use of contraception, then you have the right to not use it. But you do not have the right to deny it's use to people that do not share your beliefs.
A Jewish butcher at a grocery store refusing to sell pork or shellfish
Hindi saying that no one is allowed to eat beef.
A Jehovah's witness in the medical field refusing to give a blood transfusion.
A Muslim doctor refusing to use a porcine heart valve to save someone's life.
If someone's life and freedom are at stake, you do not have the right to deny them the service, especially if doing so could
As far as the religious insurance refusing to pay for the stuff, isn't the person seeking the coverage paying for the insurance? Shouldn't THEY be able to determine how their money is spent? If I'm the insured, shouldn't I have the right to say that this should cover certain things, especially if there is no other insurance plan to which I could join?
eppur_se_muova
(36,222 posts)Isn't the point of a committee hearing to hear from *various* points of view ?
(Historically, that's been true, just not in Rethug-run hearings.)
Beartracks
(12,754 posts)Of course, the chair may have certain ideas to begin with about what actually constitutes a *valid* point of view...
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peace frog
(5,609 posts)A testifying witness who is not also a sworn member of the He Man Woman Haters Club!
Spanky and Alfalfa will surely disapprove.
GodlessBiker
(6,314 posts)Response to kpete (Original post)
Post removed
onehandle
(51,122 posts)lovuian
(19,362 posts)give us 10 kids and a husband who is an alcoholic
those were the good old days for Republicans
it is a WOMAN"S RIGHT to have contraception if she wants it
LuckyLib
(6,812 posts)I'd like to see an army of 50+ year old women standing there ready to take these idiots on.
grantcart
(53,061 posts)Burn down their own factory for insurance fraud.
http://duanegraham.wordpress.com/2011/01/17/darrell-issa-gets-probed/
Dont call me Shirley
(10,998 posts)noiretextatique
(27,275 posts)intelligent, articulate, knowledgeable, poised, funny and tough. i see why republicon males didn't want her to speak.
JI7
(89,150 posts)obietiger
(500 posts)more people need to hear her.
Bosso 63
(992 posts)Ian62
(604 posts)The Founders thought it was self evident that each individual had certain Natural or God given rights.
That included domain over your own body.
I take it as self evident that it is your right to choose contraception or not.
As you have domain over your own body.
It is only extreme religious dogma that says otherwise.
The law should not get involved.
It should be left to individual choice.
NICO9000
(970 posts)Just sayin'