House Committee Holds Hearing On Obama Contraception Coverage Mandate

The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform yesterday held a hearing titled Lines Crossed: Separation of Church and State. Has the Obama Administration Trampled on Freedom of Religion and Freedom of Conscience?  Eleven witnesses appeared on two panels before the committee. The Committee's website has transcripts of the prepared statements of the witnesses along with videos of the hearing. Reporting on the hearing, McClatchy Newspapers said:

Leaders from the Catholic, Jewish, Baptist and Lutheran faiths joined in opposition to a proposed federal mandate that would require church-affiliated employers to cover birth control in their health plans.

The leaders took part in a highly politicized oversight hearing led by one of President Barack Obama's chief critics, Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif. But for those leaders, the issue was deeply serious and personal, touching on one of the basic tenets of the nation's democracy and raising questions about government's place in the faith community.

AP reports that Democrats on the committee were unhappy that Republicans accepted only one Democratic witness. Democrats were also concerned about the fact that only two women were slated as witnesses.

UPDATE: Apparently only ten of the witnesses appeared, with Barry Lynn of Americans United not appearing.