Updated on March 7th 2012The House Democrats are trying to save President Obama's campaign for a second term, and minimize the damage to their own campaigns over the forced "contraceptive" mandate for religious institutions.
The following article from Yahoo and ABC News is at best a typical example of sloppy journalism, or at worst it is a deliberate attempt to misinform the reader, provide cover for President Obama, and advance the agenda of organizations that are in league with the state to force the Catholic Church to pay for contraception, sterilization, and abortion all of which violate deeply held beliefs of the Church. I will appraise both the article and Ms. Fluke's "Mr. Smith goes to Washington" moment. My commentary is written in bold italics. I have provided links to my article at the bottom of the page.
Contraception Controversy Continues: Meet Witness Sandra Fluke
By Alexa Keyes | ABC OTUS News – 19 hrs ago
Unlike the journalists at ABC I'll provide you some background on Sandra Fluke and the organization that has published commentary pieces she has written.
This is a biography of Sandra Fluke published by RH Reality Check.
"Organization / Company: Georgetown University Law Students for Reproductive Justice
Sandra Fluke’s professional background in domestic violence and human trafficking began with Sanctuary for Families in New York City. There, she launched the agency’s pilot Program Evaluation Initiative. While at Sanctuary, she co-founded the New York Statewide Coalition for Fair Access to Family Court, which after a twenty-year stalemate, successfully advocated for legislation granting access to civil orders of protection for unmarried victims of domestic violence, including LGBTQ victims and teens. Sandra was also a member of the Manhattan Borough President’s Taskforce on Domestic Violence and numerous other New York City and New York State coalitions that successfully advocated for policy improvements impacting victims of domestic violence."
"RH Reality Check is an online community and publication serving individuals and organizations committed to advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights.
Rh Reality Check in their own words; Our Partners: Past & Present
*In alphabetical order.*
Advocates for Youth, SIECUS, Isis, Inc.
"House Democrats convened an unofficial hearing today to hear the testimony of Sandra Fluke, a Georgetown University law student who'd been barred by Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., chairman of the House committee on Oversight and Government Reform, from testifying at a hearing about contraception, health insurance and freedom of religion on Capitol Hill last week." - from ABC News
RH Reality Check is guided by the issues and recommendations identified in the Program of Action agreed on at the International Conference on Population and Development at Cairo in 1994. Protection is our watchword—we are contributing to the global effort to empower people with the information, services and leadership they need to safeguard their sexual and reproductive health and rights and to guard against false attacks and misinformation.
RH Reality Check exists as a resource for evidence-based information, provocative commentary, and interactive dialogue. We enjoyed the support of the UN Foundation and the editorial independence entrusted to us for six years, from 2006-2012. In January 2012 we branched off officially as our own independent 501 c3 (non-profit) organization, and that's what we are today.
RH Reality Check provides a forum for ideas and opinions. The opinions expressed on the site are those of the authors, and do not necessarily reflect the views of RH Reality Check or its funding organizations or persons."
*In alphabetical order.*
Advocates for Youth, SIECUS, Isis, Inc.
American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)
Americans for UNFPA
Catholics for Choice
Choice USA
Caucus for Evidence-Based Prevention leading up to the Int’l AIDS Conference
Joint Action Committee For Political Affairs (JAC)
Kansas NOW
National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health (NLIRH)
On The Issues Magazine
Oneworld.net
Physicians for Reproductive Choice and Health (PRCH) and the Association of Reproductive Health Professionals (ARHP) –
Planned Parenthood Action Fund (PPAct)
Scarleteen
Women Deliver Conference
Youtube
"House Democrats convened an unofficial hearing today to hear the testimony of Sandra Fluke, a Georgetown University law student who'd been barred by Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., chairman of the House committee on Oversight and Government Reform, from testifying at a hearing about contraception, health insurance and freedom of religion on Capitol Hill last week." - from ABC News
The ABC reporter uses the word "contraception" but fails to report that the preventative services mandate also includes sterilization and abortion inducing medication. The writer gives the impression that the mandate is only about birth control pills. Perhaps this reporter has not done her research on the mandate and is not aware of what services the mandate requires of employer health plans, or this reporter is a supporter of the mandate and has no desire to inform the reader of the true scope of the mandate.
"Democrats and women's groups protested when Issa, saying the topic of the hearing was religious freedom, not access to birth control or women's rights, rejected Fluke as a witness because she was not a member of the clergy." - from ABC News
Ms. Fluke is a law student she does not employ anyone, she is not an employer that offers a health care plan to employees. She is not a member of the clergy. The hearing subject was freedom of religion and conscience concerning the Obama health care plan.
"Democrats and women's groups protested when Issa, saying the topic of the hearing was religious freedom, not access to birth control or women's rights, rejected Fluke as a witness because she was not a member of the clergy." - from ABC News
Ms. Fluke is a law student she does not employ anyone, she is not an employer that offers a health care plan to employees. She is not a member of the clergy. The hearing subject was freedom of religion and conscience concerning the Obama health care plan.
"Instead, Issa convened an interfaith panel made up only of men. During the hearing past week, Fluke sat quietly behind the witness table, an obvious display of her refusal to be silenced. The all-male panel focused on the president's new mandate that employers with religious affiliations must offer health insurance plans that covered birth control. But the exclusion of the woman panelist sparked backlash from women's groups and jokes on late-night comedy shows." - from ABC News
The ABC News story does not tell the reader that there was testimony from two panels. The second panel included two women. Also included in the hearing under other documents was a video submitted by Ms. Fluke. As far has her "refusal to be silenced" Ms. Fluke provides evidence that dissident theologians of the Catholic Church and some third year law students share one thing in common and that is a deep seated fear that something they say or write will not be heard or published.
"House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi kept the issue front and center Thursday by holding her own hearing with only one witness, Sandra Fluke.
Many women in this country are energized about this issue," Fluke told Pelosi's all Democratic Policy Committee. Republicans did not send any House members to today's hearing.
Fluke's prepared testimony included details of fellow female students at Georgetown University who'd been denied contraceptive coverage because of the university's Catholic affiliation. Fluke said that one of her friends experienced complications stemming from ovarian cysts that could have been treated with birth control pills, and doctors were forced to remove her ovary." - from ABC News
Ms. Fluke as a law student should understand that her testimony concerning her friend that had an ovary removed because the Georgetown University student health care plan did not cover birth control pills is hearsay. She does not name the student, nor her doctor, or proof that the doctor prescribed birth control pills to treat her ovarian cysts. Ms. Fluke is not a medical expert so she is not qualified to testify on medical issues. There is no way to know if this student really exists until Ms. Fluke names the student, and then the student names the doctor, and the doctor testifies that birth control pills were prescribed to treat her medical condition.
"Fluke, who is in her third year of law school, testified that Georgetown did not cover contraception on its health plan, which she said could cost as much as $3,000 during a student's law school career." - from ABC News
Ms.Fluke as an advocate for "reproductive justice" should be aware of the true costs of birth control pills and I would think that a good reporter would do some fact checking before accepting any statement from someone who makes a monetary claim in any testimony.
"For patients not covered by health insurance, birth control pills typically cost $20 to $50 a month. In most states, Wal-Mart, Target and Kroger pharmacies offer a limited selection of generic birth control pills for $9 per month." - from the costhelper website
So for three years of law school at $50 a month the cost would come to $1800, at $9 a month the cost would be $324 for birth control pills.
Ms. Fluke neglects to mention that students at Georgetown can opt out of the University health care plan. The ABC reporter could have done the same research I did and reported that if students can provide proof of their own health care insurance that meets Georgetown requirements they may opt out of the Georgetown health care plan.
"For all students, good health is essential to achieving educational goals. Because maintaining good health requires access to health care when you need it, Georgetown University requires the students described below to have health insurance."
- "Most students who are charged Georgetown University tuition and registered in resident thesis research or registered for nine or more credit hours in a GU degree program (eight or more credit hours if a law or graduate student) are eligible and required to enroll in the most comprehensive student injury and sickness plan offered through the University, unless their other insurance coverage meets specific University requirements." - from the Georgetown Student Health Plan website.
"I felt not insulted for myself but for the women I wanted to represent, women who were silenced," Fluke said.
The Obama administration's decision to require contraception coverage by health care plans offered by religious affiliated organizations has ignited an impassioned debate in Washington. Many Democrats believe the issue is about women's health, not religion, while many Republicans say the contraception policy violates religious freedom.
While Fluke told the committee today that "getting into Issa's head is somewhere I do not want to go," she affirmed that she had all the credentials needed to testify on the issue.
"I'm an American woman who uses contraception," she said. "That makes me qualified to talk to my representatives about health care needs."
"It's not about church and state," Fluke said at the end of today's hearing. "It's about women's health."
ABC News' John Parkinson contributed to this report.
No one is stopping Ms. Fluke or any other woman from obtaining contraception coverage. If you want contraceptive coverage that includes sterilization, and abortion inducing medication, then go to work, or attend a school that offers those services.
No one is stopping Ms. Fluke or any other woman from obtaining contraception coverage. If you want contraceptive coverage that includes sterilization, and abortion inducing medication, then go to work, or attend a school that offers those services.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/she-the-people/post/whats-sandra-fluke-got-to-do-with-the-contraception-religious-exemption/2012/02/23/gIQATvkGVR_blog.html
Contraception Controversy Continues: Meet Witness Sandra Fluke - Yahoo! News
http://www.rhrealitycheck.org/about-us
http://oversight.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1598%3A2-16-12-qlines-crossed-separation-of-church-and-state-has-the-obama-administration-trampled-on-freedom-of-religion-and-freedom-of-conscienceq&catid=12&Itemid=1
http://health.costhelper.com/birth-control-pills.html
http://studentaffairs.georgetown.edu/insurance/
