Notre Dame is Suing Obama administration over birth control mandate

Notre Dame Fighting Irish Logo

The War On Women is being reignited, the University of Notre Dame joined six other Protestant and Catholic colleges in suing the Obama administration over its rule that all employers must offer contraception without a copay in their insurance plans.

In its suit, the school says that health care reform's contraception mandate violates its religious freedom and would require it to go against Catholic principles by offering contraception and sterilization to students and faculty in its insurance plan. The university serves 11,500 students of different religious faiths but has always been led by a Catholic priest as president.

In February, the Obama administration announced that religious organizations, such as schools and hospitals, would not be required to offer birth control to its employees, instead, the insurance company would contact women covered by its plan and offer the contraception. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and other religious organizations objected to this, saying that the organizations' premiums would still be helping to pay for the contraception in that scenario. In its suit, the University of Notre Dame says it is self-insured, which means this accommodation would not work for them.

“Let me say very clearly what this lawsuit is not about: it is not about preventing women from having access to contraception, nor even about preventing the Government from providing such services,” said Fr. John Jenkins, president of the University of Notre Dame.

“Many of our faculty, staff and students — both Catholic and non-Catholic — have made conscientious decisions to use contraceptives. As we assert the right to follow our conscience, we respect their right to follow theirs. And we believe that, if the Government wishes to provide such services, means are available that do not compel religious organizations to serve as its agents”

Studies have shown that 98% of Catholic women have used artificial contraception at some time in their lives. A poll by the Public Religion Research Institute in Washington found that 52 percent of Catholic respondents agreed that even religiously affiliated colleges and hospitals should have to provide their employees with health care plans that cover contraception.
I Wonder what the polls say about the boy raping going on?

Sandra Fluke Testifys at Women's Health Hearing

Sandra Fluke

Today on Capital Hill, Georgetown Law Student Sandra Fluke was able to testify before the House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee on women's health and contraception.

As most of us know, She was blocked from testifying at a House Oversight and Government Reform Committee the previous week on the 2010 health care law regulation requiring employers and insurers provide contraception coverage to their employees. The first panel of the hearing only had men as witnesses.

House Oversight Committee Chairman Darrell Issa, R-California, turned down a request last week from Democrats to have Fluke testify at his hearing prompting the hearing today (2-23-12).

Sandra was able to provide testimony on how important birth control is, not just for pregnancy prevention, but for hormonal regulation. Sandra spoke about her friend, and her friends horror when she found out birth control was not covered under her healthcare plan when she needed it for medical reasons and not as pregnancy prevention.

Sadly, today's testimony was not approved to be televised...


Dems: GOP won’t let us televise contraception hearing
From: http://www.politico.com

Pelosi aides say the House recording studio has denied a request to broadcast the event, “apparently” at the behest of the Republican-controlled Committee on House Administration.

Pelosi spokesman Drew Hammill pointed to a July 2008 decision in which the committee lifted restrictions on use of the studio.
“If Chairman [Dan] Lungren has reversed this policy, he has done so in secret and not consulted with CHA Democrats,” Hammill said in an email. “This leaves us only to think that the House Republican leadership is acting out yet again to silence women on the topic of women’s health.”

Salley Wood, a spokeswoman for Republicans on the Committee on House Administration, said the policy wasn’t updated in 2008. Instead, she said the recording studio is operating under policies set in 2005.

Wood said the committee did not play a role in the decision not to broadcast this week’s hearing.
Pelosi’s office said this event is the first in which the studio has not covered a hearing or told Democrats that it couldn’t because of other commitments.

This Just In, Old MEN Debating WOMEN'S Health.

all-male panel at committee hearing

How come all people debating WOMEN'S health (birth control) are all MEN over 50?

Better yet, who do these old virgin men in dresses (the bishops) think they are? Having a doctorate does not make you a medical doctor!

How come vasectomies are covered (which the only medical benefit of is pregnancy prevention) but birth control (which has multiple medical benefits other than pregnancy prevention) can't be? 

Medication should be between a Patient and Doctor
not Patient and Politician 
not Patient and Priest 
and not Patient and Uninformed Biased Opinions.  




Attack of the Republicans

all-male Oversight and Government Reform Committee panel

Sen. Patty Murray

Sen. Patty Murray, D-WA., said that while the recent “attacks” on women’s health care seem “swift and sudden,” she believes they are not.

“There is nothing new about these Republican attacks on our family planning decisions. In fact, from the moment they came into power, Republicans in the House of Representatives have been waging a war on women’s health.”

Sen. Jeanne Shaheen

Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., spoke regarding the all-male Oversight and Government Reform Committee panel


“I’m disappointed. I know it’s a disappointment that’s shared by millions of women across this country,” “I’m saddened that here we are in 2012 and a House committee would hold a hearing on women’s health and deny women the ability to share their perspective.”




The Women Strike Back!

Sen. Kirstin Gillibrand

Sen. Kirstin Gillibrand, D-N.Y., promised that Democratic women senators will continue to stand up.

“If our Republican colleagues want to continue to take this issue head on, we will stand here as often as is necessary and draw a line in the sand that the Senate, the women of the Senate specifically, will continue to oppose these attacks on women’s rights and women’s health care.”

Sen. Barbara Boxer

 Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Ca., said her 16-year-old grandson saw the photo and instantaneously knew something was off. “It’s all dudes,” Boxer said, quoting her grandson.