My trip into the Monkey Cage

So.... I was just minding my own business when last Tuesday the call came from D.C. "We want you to testify on the HHS provisions." Hmmmmmmmmm..... Nuts! I've got a ton of work to do! LCMS Board of Directors' the next day, then the Southern Illinois District Convention, then Council of Presidents. Congressman Issa's staff were making the inquiry. Thought about it for a bit. Staff thought yes, no, maybe. I'd just been in D.C. with LCMS friends. They were lamenting the absence of our voice in D.C. Couldn't let them down at this point. OK, I'll go.

Next morning I hopped on a plane at 11:00 a.m. for Reagan in D.C. Went over to see our friends at the Becket Fund (a bunch of brilliant kid-lawyers who helped us prevail in an astounding 9-0 Supreme Court Decision on the Hosanna Tabor Case. The EEOC was harassing the LCMS, asserting that the Feds had a right to stick their nose in a matter of a church school's employment of a commissioned minister (teacher).

Had my friend, Lutheran ethicist John Pless along, and Ann Stillman, lawyer for our Concordia Plans (the LCMS insurance agency). After the briefings we enjoyed a late dinner. Slept o.k. Woke early to write my testimony for the hearing later that morning. Had to keep it within 5 minutes. Felt inspired.

Headed to the Capital Hill Club with friend and LCMS layman Tim Goeglein at 7:30. "Wouldn't change a thing" he commented on my statement. "They will throw everything possible at you to make you look like an idiot, a bigot or whatever...." "Don't respond in kind."

Off to the hearing room in one of the congressional office buildings. Only one security check. Got there at 8:30 a.m. Invited to the "anti-room" with other panelists. Congressman Issa stopped to inform us that there was ongoing drama with the democrats regarding witnesses. They'd failed to get the name and credentials in of a woman who'd been denied medications at Georgetown. Keep calm. Stick to your convictions.

The hearing commenced with drama. Democrats blasted away on the make up of the committee. It's all about women's health. Where are the women? Never mind the Dem's had proposed Barry Lind (man) who didn't show. Never mind two women on the second panel. I had no idea who would or wouldn't testify. No idea about the rules. All I know is that the administration had issued some surreal regs via HHS that religious institutions would have to distribute "birth control" medications (i.e. meds that kill unborn life) to all employees. Then the administration issued a statement stating that the insurance companies would pay, not the church. Read the regs on the airplane. Horrid limitation of freedom of religion to houses of worship and not institutions owned and operated by the church.

I was in total sympathy with our Catholic friends. They have a principled position on abortion causing meds (just like we do), and a conscience position regarding birth control. What in the world is the fed government doing forcing anyone to act contrary to long standing moral teaching of the church? Why in the world are we "grandfathered" and given an "accommodation" for what is CLEARLY our first amendment right!

The hearing was a sideshow. I was asked by folks back home, "It seamed speaker after speaker on the democrat side had not heard what you just said!" Said, I, "They didn't. You see each person simply came in with the talking points for the cameras and blasted away only to leave as soon as they did the grandstand." All was twisted. "You really want to get rid of birth control, right?" Harrison: No. We're not against Birth Control, but only abortion causing drugs. "You really don't care about women right?" Harrison: No. I've spent years assisting them. I knew my dear wife was at home no doubt yelling at the T.V. Wished she were there instead of me at that point.) Republicans wanted to draw me into condemning Obama outright. Wouldn't do it. I was representing the Missouri Synod. We haven't condemned Obama care, or even ruled on it. And we won't. Our problem is the government forcing religious people to act contrary to their doctrine and practice.

I felt like I was in monkey cage frankly. But the media circus followed. The Dems lost the argument in the hearing, so they sent in the troops to obfuscate and create drama for the ever willing press. So the story is turned to something like this: "Why do you guys hate women?" "Why do you want to take our contraceptives away?" "How can you men be testifying about women's health?" There were some exceptions. Tim Townsend gave us an accurate piece in the St. Louis Post Dispatch. The New York Times wasn't all bad. Others were pathetic. Nancy Palosi was blasting away on the Sunday morning shows with the obfuscation. (I regard that attack as a badge of honor.) The panel photo even appeared on SNL. More nonsense. I couldn't care less.

The constitution is with us. And like Hosanna Tabor, it may take some time, but I believe the HHS provisions are going to fall with a crash in the Supreme Court. And we'll have another shot at talking about what the "real" issue is.

Matt H.