Issa Hearing Targets Contraception, Draws Criticism
Yesterday anti-choice Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA), Chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, hosted, “Lines Crossed: Separation of Church and State. Has the Obama Administration Trampled on Freedom of Religion and Freedom of Conscience?,” a congressional hearing on religious liberty. Rep. Issa insisted the hearing was not about the contraception debate, but supposedly a broader discussion of religious freedom. Ironically, the Chairman’s public preview statement specifically mentioned contraception, stating, “While some Americans may not feel that government mandates forcing them to pay for contraception are an infringement on their religious beliefs, others consider it to be an assault against their freedom of conscience.”
The hearing was widely criticized for the lack of panel diversity, which only featured two women out of the eleven participants. What’s more, Issa refused to allow a minority witness to testify, claiming she was not qualified and her name was not submitted in time. The minority witness barred from the hearing, Sandra Fluke, is a third-year law student at Georgetown University, where birth control is not insured. Fluke lost an ovary due to a condition related to ovarian cysts, which is often treated with birth control. Issa’s office defended Fluke’s exclusion arguing that, “the hearing is not about reproductive rights but instead about the administration’s actions as they relate to freedom of religion and conscience, he believes that Ms. Fluke is not an appropriate witness.”
Issa’s explanations and actions ran contradictory to each other, leaving few with doubts about the real purpose of the panel, or the Representative’s agenda.
