Liberal women were in an uproar over the all-male panel at Thursday's
congressional hearing on the HHS birth control mandate, and CNN made
sure to tout their displeasure. Anchor Hala Gorani emphasized the
"fireworks" over the hearing while ignoring the Republican explanation
as to why a female pro-birth control witness was refused participation
in the panel.
Gorani played clips of two Democratic congresswomen decrying the
all-male panel and gave the Democratic talking points as to why two
congresswomen left the hearing in protest. "The two Democratic women
tried to get a witness added who favors birth control services, but were
refused. Thus, the walkout," Gorani tersely explained.
Of
course, Gorani failed to add the GOP explanation for the refusal, that
the Democrats did not add the witness in time before the hearing and
that she was not a member of the clergy.
A letter from Issa's staff stated, “As 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.”
[Video below.]
After building up the controversy for two minutes, Gorani briefly noted that the afternoon panel included two women before adding "none of the ten testifying before the committee spoke in favor of the Obama administration's birth control insurance decision."
A transcript of the segment, which aired on February 17 at 3:33 p.m. EST, is as follows:
HALA GORANI: More fireworks today after a Capitol Hill hearing that prompted two congresswomen to walk out. It all started yesterday at a House hearing on religious liberty and the Obama administration's new birth control policy. Take a close look at this panel. The woman you see there on the end, well she's not part of it. The five men sitting side by side, that is the panel. And remember, they're on Capitol Hill to testify about birth control and religion. New York representative Carolyn Maloney posed this question before walking out. Listen.
(Video Clip)
Rep. CAROLYN MALONEY (D-N.Y.): What I want to know is, 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 health care services, including family planning. Where are the women?
(End Video Clip)
GORANI: The hearing was chaired by California Republican Darrell Issa. All five men invited to take part in the discussion of birth control and the government are from conservative religious organizations. Listen to Matthew Harrison, he's a Lutheran minister from New Jersey.
(Video Clip)
Rev. MATTHEW HARRISON, Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod: We must obey God rather than men. And we will. Please get the federal government, Mr. Chairman, out of our consciences.
(End Video Clip)
GORANI: And this is what the panel heard from a Baptist minister.
(Video Clip)
DR. CRAIG MITCHELL, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary: It's wrong because it violates the Constitution. It's wrong because it violates religious liberty. It's wrong because it forces people to violate their consciences. It is wrong because it's more expensive. This ruling is just plain wrong for America.
(End Video Clip)
GORANI: House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi jumped into the fray, urging supporters to sign a petition demanding that House Republican leaders allow women to have a voice in women's health issues. Listen.
(Video Clip)
Rep. NANCY PELOSI (D-Calif.), House Minority Leader: Where are the women? And that's a good question for the whole debate. Where are the women? Where are the women on that panel – imagine they're having a panel on women's health, and they don't have any women on the panel. Duh. What is it that men don't understand about women's health, and how central the issue of family planning is to that.
(End Video Clip)
GORANI: Now, to be fair, the five men made up the morning panel. Two women were part of the afternoon panel, but none of the ten testifying before the committee spoke in favor of the Obama administration's birth control insurance decision. The two Democratic women tried to get a witness added who favors birth control services, but were refused. Thus, the walkout.
-- Matt Hadro is a News Analyst at the Media Research Center