Elijah Cumming's take on birth control issue

BALTIMORE - We are hearing from Maryland Congressman Elijah Cummings, who attended the latest event in the birth control debate.

The issue is the Obama administration's requirement that health insurance cover contraceptives, even at religious-based institutions.

Democrats say it's critical for women's health. Republicans say it's stomping on religious freedom.

The democratic event yesterday started off with testimony from one woman, Sandra Fluke, who was not needed at the GOP hearing last week.

That hearing had a witness table of all men.

Here is what Cummings said about the hearing:

"As I sat in the hearing the other day, I asked myself the simple question, I asked the question, 'if this were a hearing on prostate cancer, and there was a lineup of women and no men,' I guarantee you men would have not have stuck around because they would have said to themselves, 'you know, come on give me a break."

Fluke told stories about friends whose health problems became worse, because Catholic institutions denied coverage for the pill.