Democrats seek to capitalize on contraception controversy

Sandra Fluke, a third-year law student at Georgetown University shakes hands with House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi as Rep. Elijah Cummings looks on.

/ Alex Wong

House Democrats on Thursday sought to capitalize on the controversy surrounding the government's role in providing contraception to women, holding a high-profile discussion on the matter and asking supporters for money as soon as the talk was over.

Led by House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, the Democrats held a pretend hearing while Congress is not in session to listen to the views of a third-year Georgetown Law student and activist who was not allowed to attend a Republican run hearing on the matter last week.

Sandra Fluke, who leads a reproductive rights group at the university, was barred from testifying at the February 16 hearing of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee because the Republicans said she was unqualified. Instead, the panel heard from five men, all of whom are opposed to insurance companies providing coverage for contraception. A secondary session of five panelists did include two women.

Immediately after the conclusion of Thursday's fake hearing, Pelosi sent an email to supporters from the party's campaign arm seeking financial assistance ahead of an upcoming filing deadline with the Federal Election Commission.

"The Republican War on Women must come to an end," Pelosi wrote, "help us raise $1 million by Wednesday's deadline to send an overwhelming message that we will not stand for the Republicans' anti-woman agenda."

Rep. Elijah Cummings said holding a hearing on contraception without any women would be like holding a hearing on prostate cancer without any men--he would not take it seriously.

Fluke, the only witness at Thursday's session, objected to characterizations that she is not qualified to speak before lawmakers on the matter.

"I'm an American woman who uses contraception, so let's start right there. That makes me qualified to talk to my elected officials about my health care needs," she said.

Specifically, she said contraception can cost a woman over $3,000 dollars, which she pointed out is about the same amount of money a law student could expect to earn over the course of a summer.

And she said contraception is not just used for birth control, but also for other health issues including the treatment of polycystic ovary syndrome and even seizures.

No Republicans attended the mock hearing.

[Knuckles_McGurk]

Such Buffoonery. Nancy can keep a straight face and say ANYTHING! She should be a politician!

[fdpeach]

I am really confused. Its my understanding that a Virginia Law if passed was going to make it mandatory to take ultrasound test prior to an abortion clearly a state decision on a woman's health issue. But now Nancy Pelosi is standing up and shouting foul Nancy,,,, Obama care is the most restive state sponsored heath care for women ever attempted by any state. So let me get this straight she is against Virginia mandating heath care but Obama care its OK.

[PourpaixPourpaix]

Wow, how did we get from the contraception issue to a sexist issue. I'm a man who had to go to Canada to get a vasectomy. Not covered by insurance, and the local hospital in my small town is run by the Holy Catholic Poke. I'm no Republican, but it is obvious that the GOP is NOT anti-woman. Perhaps pro-Church and anti-abortion. Maybe even anti-feminist, which I think is a good thing. But not anti-woman.

I would say it's a bad thing if the Democrats position themselves pro-feminist. Any party that positions itself anti-equality like that will lose my vote.

[tsigili]

The Democratic Party is the party of dictatorship in America.

[RobAla]

Democrats created the contraception controversy. The United States has major problems in a staggering $15 trillion national debt, a huge 8% unemployment rate, Iran getting the bomb.....etc. President Obama and Democrats have no plan for any of this, so they come up with something that attacks the Catholic church, forces private companies to give away a product for "free", and (this is the real deal) distracts the American people from the massive failures of Democrat policies.

This is why President Obama elected to do this. There was no real emergency for "free" contraceptives. Democrats created this controversy to move the eyes and ears of Americans away from their failures.

[nancy_naive]

It's castration anxiety. Republican men cannot tolerate that a woman with a purse full of pills can so easily emasculate them.

[lg144]

Republicans are anti science, anti woman and anti The 99 percent yet voters keep electing them. So who is the stupid one, republicans or the voters?

[sirmarion-2009]

Should this not be an individuals choice? I just do not want my tax money to pay for it,Next we will be making excuses for those who overdraw their bankaccounts and get fined overdraft charges.

[hdc77494]

This was never about contreception, and wasn't a republican issue. It was originally raised during a debate weeks before Obama's announcement that religious organizations would have to.offer contraception, strrilization, and morning after abortion services, a clear violation of our constitution. This argument has never been about contraception, but about religious freedom, and the executive overstepping their authority. Now insurance companies have been ordered? To provide those services for free. Under what authority?

[toddodo]

Insurance companies are happy to cover birth control as it costs much less than birthing a child. No one has to pay more.

[wfw3536]

I am surprised how many liberals and the president don't get that when they force insurance companies to pay for contraception, they are asking the private institutions to pay for them as most are self insured, which means they are paying for something that is against their core religious beliefs. Oh, and do not forget this also violates our rights in our constitution. How out touch these liberal folks are, wait until 70 million Catholics and other religious groups vote in November to protect their rights under our constitution.

[darkhorseky]

Wow
We hate women. Give me a brake. How about we think we are not animals that have sex with out responsibility. But mybe Dem's are saying that no one can control thier selfs. Or mybe thinking before sex and mybe protecting yourself agianst all that goes along with it. The more they talk ,the more i believe nothing matters to them is sex and social programs.

[darkhorseky]

No I mean everyone!!!!! Dont care if its Rep , Dem or any other community. This has nothing to do with which group!!!

[darkhorseky]

brake or break , Still is the same. Or mybe in your terms , Opps i just had sex , How did it happen. sureee.My body lost control.

[P0STING_AWAY]

by bmallen3 February 23, 2012 6:56 PM EST
SKYK- you moron, are you still posting your fiction and Leninist propaganda? There is no issue with birth control...NADA ..nothing. It is nothing but a lie by people like you..................
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You are an AMAZINGLY stupid cretin.
Your beloved Repugs have been arguing about this for WEEKS.