Madam President, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the
Record the testimony of a woman who tried very hard to be allowed to
speak with a panel of men at a congressional hearing.
There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in
the Record, as follows:
[From the Law Students for Reproductive Justice Chapter]
Testimony From Law Student Barred From House Hearing
Members of Congress, good morning, and thank you for
allowing me to testify. My name is Sandra Fluke, and I'm a
third year student at Georgetown Law, a Jesuit school. I'm
also a past president of Georgetown Law Students for
Reproductive Justice or LSRJ. I'd like to acknowledge my
fellow LSRJ members and allies and thank them for being here
today. Georgetown LSRJ is here today because we're so grateful that this regulation implements the nonpartisan, medical advice of the Institute of Medicine. I attend a Jesuit law school that does not provide contraception coverage in student health plans. Just as we students have faced financial, emotional, and medical burdens as a result, employees at religiously affiliated hospitals and universities across the country have suffered similar burdens. We are all grateful for the new regulation that will meet the critical health care needs of so many women. Simultaneously, the recently announced adjustment addresses any potential conflict with the religious identity of Catholic and Jesuit institutions.