Democratic lawmakers ramp up efforts to protect IVF

WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) – Republicans in Congress are blocking legislation that aims to protect access to IVF.

Democrats worry a recent Alabama Supreme Court ruling threatens the practice and want to protect it at the federal level.

“Women in America: wake up,” said U.S. Rep. Susie Lee, (D-Nev.).

Lee said Congress needs to pass a law that guarantees every American woman the right to fertility treatment.

U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell, (D-Ala.), said since the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos used for IVF are “children,” doctors and fertility clinics in her home state are turning away women.

“Some have devoted their life savings to fertility treatment only to have their hopes and dreams ripped away by Republican judges,” Sewell said.

U.S. Rep. Katherine Clark, (D-Calif.), warns if Republicans have their way, this will not end with Alabama.

“This is the Republican dream realized into a waking nightmare,” Clark said.

House Republicans say they support IVF.

“It needs to be readily available,” said House Speaker Mike Johnson, (R-La.). “It needs to be something that every American supports.”

However, Johnson would not say whether he supports Democrats’ bill that would give federal protections to IVF services, and Senate Republicans are having a similar debate.

U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, (R-Miss.), blocked a vote on the legislation, arguing it would also legalize practices like human cloning and gene editing “designer babies.”

“It had many, many other aspects to it besides just protecting IVF,” said U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, (R-W.Va.).

Capito also opposes the bill, but its sponsor, U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, (D-Ill.), said they’re being shortsighted.

“IVF is the reason I get to experience the chaos and the beauty, the stress and the joy that is motherhood,” Duckworth said.

Democrats plan to bring up the bill for another vote.

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