Definitely not at the House Committee hearing happening right now to discuss whether no-cost birth control coverage “trampled on freedom of religion?” (Hint: It doesn’t.) Chairman Rep. Darrell Issa rejected a request to include just one female witness, saying “the hearing is not about reproductive rights and contraception.” Democratic women on the committee made a final appeal at the hearing, asking Issa to let a college student testify.
Via ThinkProgress:
http://youtu.be/MK38kuMOuXY
Reps. Carolyn Maloney and Eleanor Holmes Norton walked out in protest. As we all should, metaphorically. This is democracy in action, ladies and gentlemen: Women actively barred from speaking about an issue that directly affects us, our health, and our lives.
If anyone has time to write up a transcript in the comments, I’d appreciate it!
10 Comments
this hearing is a farce. the witness who wasn’t allowed to testify is a Georgetown University Law Students for Reproductive Justice chapter leader…she spoke at a presser last week, discussing the detrimental impact that no co-pay birth control would have and voicing support of Obama’s decision.
Speaker 1: The chairman is promoting a conspiracy theory that the Federal Government is conducting a war against religion. He has stacked the hearing with witnesses who agree with his position. He has not invited Catholic Health Association, Catholic Charities, Catholics United, or a host of other Catholic groups that praise the White House for making the accommodation they made last week. He has also refused to allow a minority witness to testify about the interest of women who want safe and affordable coverage for basic, preventative health care, including contraceptive.
Speaker 2: Where are the women? When I look at this panel, I don’t see one single woman representing the tens of millions of women across the country who want and need insurance coverage for basic preventative health care services. Where are the women? Let one woman speak for the panel right now on this all-male panel. She is here in the audience today, she is steps away. Even if you think you will disagree with everything she says, don’t we owe it to the tens of millions of American women whose lives will be affected to let just one, just one woman speak?
Chairman: The gentlelady will state her parliamentary inquiry
Speaker 3: I asked the staff to get me the rules Mr. Chairman—
Chairman: The gentlelady will state it—
Speaker 3: And one thing Mr. Chairman, we’ve been denied the right to have a witness—
Chariman: The gentlelady—the gentlelady—
Speaker 3: I want to have the right to make a parliamentary inquiry!
Rep. John Conyers
The chairman is promoting a conspiracy theory that the federal government is conducting a war against religion. He has stacked the hearing with witnesses who agree with this position. He has not invited Catholic Health Association, Catholic Charities, Catholics United, or a host of other Catholic groups that praise the White House for making the accommodation they made last week. He has also refused to allow a minority witness to testify about the interests of women who want safe and affordable coverage for basic preventive healthcare including contraception.
Rep. Carolyn Maloney
Where are the women? When I look at this panel I don’t see one single woman representing the tens of millions of women across the country who want and need insurance coverage for basic preventive healthcare services. Where are the women? Let one woman speak for the panel right now on this all male panel. She is here in the audience today. She is steps away. Even if you think you will disagree with everything she says, don’t we owe it to the tens of millions of American women whose lives will be affected to let just one, just one woman speak?
Chairman Issa
The gentle lady will state her parliamentary inquiry.
Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton
I asked the staff to get me the rules, Mr. Chairman. And one thing, Mr. Chairman, we’ve been denied the right to have a witness…
Chairman Issa
The gentle lady will…
Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton
I want to have the right to make a parliamentary inquiry!
That was U.S. Representative John Lewis, not U.S. Representative John Conyers, Jr.
Beverly Tran
An Original Source
Correction: That is not Rep. John Conyers of Michigan. That is Edolphus (Ed) Towns of Brooklyn, New York.
Jon Stewart was just making fun of some right-wing TV blowhard interviewing a panel of all men about the issue the other day. It’s getting unnerving how quickly reality is outracing satire.
Who is the idiot(s) that are making birth control an issue?
The ones who won’t need birth control at all.
No women on the GOP oversight panel for birth control coverage, eh? Well, I’ll tell you where there are women: the voting booth.
I was so incredibly f*cking filled with rage after hearing of this that I HAD to make a ragecomic:
http://cheezburger.com/View/5851171328?fb_ref=shared_from_asset_view