IVF could be a driving issue in Iowa congressional races. Where do the candidates stand?
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Debates over abortion and in vitro fertilization are expected to help shape elections in swing congressional districts across the country this year, and experts say it’s an issue that could have particular resonance in a state like Iowa.
That’s because Republican leaders in the Hawkeye State have taken steps to dramatically curtail access to abortion, raising concerns among some voters and advocates that fertility treatments eventually could get caught in the crosshairs, said Erin Covey, an analyst focused on U.S. House races for the nonpartisan Cook Political Report.
“I think Democrats and Republicans both agree that this is an issue that largely benefits Democrats and hurts Republicans, and it was an issue that hurt Republicans in a lot of key races last cycle,” she said.
“But while I think it is salient, it varies across what states and districts you're in. So, I think in a state like Iowa, which is a red state that has a potential six-week (abortion) ban that's still tied up in the courts, that is top of mind for a lot of Iowa voters. This is an issue they're going to be paying more attention to than maybe voters in bluer states where abortion access is protected in a lot of those states' constitutions.”
With polls showing substantial support for fertility treatments, even among those who are evangelical or oppose abortion, Democrats running in competitive congressional races across the nation this fall see it as a winning campaign message.
Democrats have targeted two seats in Iowa where they hope to knock off Republican incumbents in November.
U.S. Reps. Mariannette Miller-Meeks in the 1st District and Zach Nunn in the 3rd District, who are trying to defend their seats, have sought to emphasize their support for IVF while also maintaining that life begins at conception — a concept that was at the heart of a recent Alabama court case that triggered the temporary shuttering of treatment centers.
There, the state Supreme Court ruled in February that fertilized eggs created through IVF should be legally treated as children. That threatens fertility treatments, where extra or nonviable embryos can be discarded.
That case wraps into Democrats’ wider messaging over abortion and reproductive rights, Covey said.
She believes the two Republican incumbents maintain an advantage in their districts, she said, "but their main vulnerability, as far as issues go, is definitely abortion.”
More: 2024 Iowa election guide: What are the candidates saying ahead of the June primary?
Where do Iowa’s 1st District candidates stand on IVF?
Democrat Christina Bohannan, a law professor, is challenging Miller-Meeks in the 1st District and has emphasized her support of IVF.
“IVF fertility treatment gives so many Iowans the chance to have children and is an essential part of the decision of whether, when, and how people are able to start a family,” Bohannan wrote in a recent candidate survey for the Des Moines Register. “I myself have tried IVF, as have thousands of Iowa women desperately praying for a family.”
Bohannan also has criticized Miller-Meeks, saying the congresswoman “co-sponsored a measure that would end IVF fertility treatments nationwide, a horrific outcome.”
Bohannan was referencing Miller-Meeks’ support of the 2021-22 Life at Conception Act.
Miller-Meeks co-sponsored the bill, which states that life begins at fertilization. And although the bill includes language preventing “the prosecution of any woman for the death of her unborn child” as a result of the law, it does not spell out protections for fertility treatments, which a Senate version of the bill does.
The bill would have enacted nationwide the same legal concept — that fertilized embryos should be legally treated as humans — that undergirded the Alabama case and threw the state’s fertility treatment centers into turmoil.
In her responses submitted to the Register’s candidate survey, Miller-Meeks defended her positions and argued the legislation does not prohibit IVF.
“There has been no bill voted upon that prohibits IVF,” she said. “No one, myself included, has sponsored, signed onto or advanced a bill in Congress limiting or prohibiting IVF. Yet, we have put forth resolutions for our support for IVF. And we'll continue to work on making sure people understand and are supported when it comes to IVF. But legislation may be desirable to remove any confusion or doubt.”
Voter guide: Meet the candidates running for Iowa's 1st Congressional District in southeast Iowa
Miller-Meeks co-sponsored a nonbinding resolution that “strongly supports the access to and use of IVF treatments across the United States" — but it did not offer any legal protections for patients or providers.
Miller-Meeks also praised the role of IVF in her family’s life.
“My youngest sister struggled with infertility, and I’m fully supportive of IVF,” she wrote. “By the grace of God, she has two children with some assistance and a third quite unexpected three years after the birth of twins. There is nothing more pro-life than bringing another life into the world.”
David Pautsch, a Republican and the longtime organizer of the annual Quad Cities Prayer Breakfast, has launched a primary challenge to Miller-Meeks.
He said in his candidate survey that Congress should take steps to ensure extra embryos are not discarded.
“Congress should establish some ethical and moral standards for the practice of IVF to prevent over-production of embryonic babies that will not be used and killed,” he said. “Here again the adoption option is a clear path for those unable to conceive, even with IVF, and who could carry and raise these unwanted embryonic babies.”
Where do Iowa's 3rd Congressional District candidates stand on IVF?
Nunn, who has often said he believes life begins at conception, expressed support for IVF in his candidate survey for the Register.
“As a father of six, I’ll never have a more important title than ‘Dad,’” he wrote. “I believe anyone who is hoping to start a family should have access to the tools to do so, including IVF, fertility treatments or adoption. In Congress, I’m working on legislation to support IVF treatment access and use across the country.”
Emily Tuttle, a spokesperson for Nunn, said the congressman hoped to introduce the legislation "in the next several months."
Nunn is seeking a second term and does not have a primary challenger.
Like Miller-Meeks, Nunn has also co-sponsored a nonbinding resolution that calls for the support of IVF but does not provide legal protections.
He has not signed on to the Life at Conception Act in Congress, but Democrats have criticized his 2019 vote as a state senator to support legislation replacing the words “human pregnancy” in state law with “an unborn person.” The bill defines "unborn person" as "an individual organism of the species homo sapiens from fertilization to live birth."
Miller-Meeks also voted for the bill as a state senator.
Democrats have said the language is tantamount to putting “personhood” language into state law and would threaten fertility treatments at the state level. That legislation was not approved, and Republicans scuttled a nearly identical bill earlier this year because of concerns about its effects on IVF.
In a statement, Nunn again reiterated his support for IVF.
"Every day, hundreds of families are created due to IVF, and there's nothing more important than being pro-family, a value that I’ve spent my lifetime defending," he said.
Lanon Baccam, a former U.S. Department of Agriculture official seeking the Democratic nomination in the 3rd District, said he believes “every Iowan deserves the right to start or grow their family on their own terms.”
“If elected, I will co-sponsor the Access to Family Building Act to ensure every Iowan has access to in vitro fertilization. With attacks on IVF access happening right here at the state level, enshrining federal protections is more important than ever. Our current representative, however, has yet to sign onto this legislation guaranteeing Iowans’ right to IVF.”
Melissa Vine, who is the executive director of The Beacon, a women’s trauma center, is also seeking the Democratic Party’s nomination. She said she supports federal action to protect access to IVF.
“The attacks on IVF are adjacent to the attacks on abortion access,” she wrote in the Register’s candidate survey. “These issues are leading more people, especially women, to vote for Democratic candidates. That is why it's critical that Democrats pick the sharpest contrast to anti-choice Republican Zach Nunn in the June 4 primary. Currently, Congress is only 29% women, and we need women now more than ever to protect our rights.”
More: Meet the 2 Democrats challenging Zach Nunn for Iowa's 3rd Congressional District seat
US Reps. Randy Feenstra, Ashley Hinson say they support ‘life at conception’ and IVF
Like Miller-Meeks, Republican U.S. Reps. Randy Feenstra and Ashley Hinson have co-sponsored the Life at Conception Act while also espousing support of IVF.
Both said in the Register’s candidate surveys they believe Americans should have access to fertility treatments, though both stopped short of saying whether Congress should take action to ensure it.
“As a father of four and a Christian, I believe that we must do everything that we can to encourage people to have families and then advance policies that help our families and children thrive,” Feenstra wrote in his candidate survey. “I support in vitro fertilization because this procedure has given the gift of life to so many children and blessed families with new babies. God has blessed me with a great family and I believe that that blessing should be shared with every couple who wants to start a family.”
Hinson said she empathizes with anyone who has struggled with fertility issues.
“I strongly believe IVF should continue to be available for women who have struggled with fertility and want to grow their families,” Hinson wrote in her candidate survey. “From protecting fertility treatments, to improving maternal care, and empowering pregnant women on college campuses, I’m going to continue championing pro-life and pro-family policies for healthy moms and healthy babies.”
More: Meet the candidates running for Iowa's 4th Congressional District
Hinson does not have a primary challenger, but Feenstra will face entrepreneur Kevin Virgil in June.
Virgil said he supports IVF use but does not believe Congress needs to take action.
“My daughter was born thanks to IVF and I will always support its use,” Virgil wrote. “I do not believe that access to IVF is at risk and therefore do not support the drafting of unnecessary legislation.”
The Democrats in both races said they believe Congress should enact legislation protecting IVF providers and patients.
“Republicans in Congress keep saying they support access to IVF and keep cosponsoring legislation to ban it or blocking its passage in the Senate,” said Democrat Sarah Corkery, a small business owner challenging Hinson.
Democrats in Congress have tried to enshrine protections for fertility treatments into law. In February, a Republican senator from Mississippi blocked quick passage of a bill that would have done so.
“There are many reasons why parents-to-be seek fertility treatment, including cancer survivors who often rely on this for family planning,” Corkery wrote. “We must protect IVF, not jeopardize its access. I will do everything in my power in Congress to stand up for Iowa’s families, and helping Iowans start their families however they choose is a big part of that.”
Ryan Melton, a Democrat and insurance professional running in the 4th District, was more succinct in his support of congressional action.
“Absolutely,” he said.
More: Meet the candidates running for Iowa's 2nd Congressional District in northeast Iowa
Brianne Pfannenstiel is the chief politics reporter for the Des Moines Register. She is also covering the 2024 presidential race for USA TODAY as a senior national campaign correspondent. Reach her at bpfann@dmreg.com or 515-284-8244. Follow her on Twitter at @brianneDMR.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: What Iowa congressional candidates are saying about IVF and abortion
