{"id":2263182,"date":"2024-06-09T06:11:02","date_gmt":"2024-06-09T10:11:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/the-ivf-battle-how-senate-republicans-are-navigating-the-political-minefield\/"},"modified":"2024-06-09T06:11:12","modified_gmt":"2024-06-09T10:11:12","slug":"the-ivf-battle-how-senate-republicans-are-navigating-the-political-minefield","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/the-ivf-battle-how-senate-republicans-are-navigating-the-political-minefield\/","title":{"rendered":"Navigating the IVF Controversy: Senate Republicans&#8217; Political Strategy"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">16<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fthe-ivf-battle-how-senate-republicans-are-navigating-the-political-minefield%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2263182&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>In February, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/alabama\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Alabama<\/a>\u2019s Supreme Court ruled that embryos are human, triggering a political earthquake that erupted across the country. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/democrats\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Democratic Party<\/a> seized the moment, defining the decision\u2019s interpretation, and immediately labeling it as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/ivf\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>anti-in-vitro fertilization<\/a>. With top Democrats arguing that Republicans\u2019 anti-abortion positions are incompatible with a pro-IVF posture, Republicans have been put in an uncomfortable position during an election year.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Alabama\u2019s Supreme Court ruling came after three Alabama couples sued the Mobile Infirmary Medical Center and the Center for Reproductive Medicine when their embryos were <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/healthcare\/2868604\/alabama-ivf-case-everything-you-need-to-know\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>accidentally destroyed<\/a> during the IVF process. The court\u2019s decision in their favor entailed consequences for IVF facilities, making them liable for destroyed or discarded embryos now recognized as legal persons. The decision did not legally prohibit IVF, but it made providing and obtaining IVF more difficult.\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure><figcaption>Doctors from the Alabama Fertility Clinic takes photos of the votes as the debate over SB159 bill (IVF Fertility Bill) in the House Chambers is voted on, Wednesday, March 6, 2024, in Montgomery, Ala. (AP Photo\/ Butch Dill)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Democrats have put Republicans on the defensive over Alabama\u2019s decision in the United States Senate, with Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) neatly <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/live-updates\/2024\/02\/28\/congress\/blocks-ivf-vote-gop-senate-protections-00143918\">summing up<\/a> their messaging strategy in March. \u201cIt\u2019s a little personal when a majority male state Supreme Court suggests that people like me who became pregnant with the help of modern medicine should be in jail cells and not nurseries,\u201d the Democrat senator said. Other Senate Democrats say supporting IVF is incompatible with a pro-life position on embryonic personhood. In March, Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) <a href=\"https:\/\/www.murray.senate.gov\/republicans-block-senator-murrays-bill-to-protect-and-expand-ivf-care-for-veterans-and-servicemembers\/#:~:text=%E2%80%9CI%20have%20said%20this%20before,fundamentally%20incompatible%20with%20supporting%20IVF!\">said<\/a>, \u201cWhen Republicans support legislation that says a fertilized egg has the same rights and protections as a living, breathing, human person\u2014that is fundamentally incompatible with supporting IVF! That is the very ideology that caused the disaster in Alabama!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Senate Democrats have introduced at least two major pieces of legislation they say aim to enshrine basic IVF and contraceptive rights. Republicans have been near unanimous in blocking their passage, saying there is <a href=\"https:\/\/abcnews.go.com\/Politics\/senate-democrats-led-duckworth-force-vote-protecting-ivf\/story?id=107606156\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>no effort<\/a> in \u201cany state in the country to ban fertility treatment,\u201d and \u201cthere is no place in the country where contraceptives are not allowed or prohibited in any way.\u201d Most Senate Republicans also agree that Democrats\u2019 <em>Right to Contraception Act<\/em> and <em>Access to Family Building Act<\/em> bills open the door to gene editing and cloning, erase basic religious freedom protections, and contain definitions of\u00a0 \u201ccontraceptives\u201d that include abortion medications.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) expressed many conservatives\u2019 concerns about the <em>Right to Contraception Act<\/em>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/congress\/senate-republicans-block-bill-protect-americans-access-contraception-rcna155448\">saying<\/a>, it would \u201cmake the abortion drug <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/supreme-court\/supreme-court-weighs-challenge-abortion-pills-widespread-availability-rcna144903\">mifepristone<\/a> \u2014 not contraception, but mifepristone \u2014 available in all 50 states no matter what the state law is, and that would override my state\u2019s law, bunch of states\u2019 laws.\u201d Hawley added, \u201cThat\u2019s an abortion issue. That\u2019s not a contraception issue.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Republicans in the upper chamber have divided into several camps: some have chosen silence as their course, steering clear of controversy; other pro-life Senators support IVF while wrestling with ethical dilemmas of embryos discarded and frozen throughout the process; still others seek to expand protections for IVF but are split as to what extent federal regulation is needed.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Senate Republicans steering clear of controversy<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>The Senate\u2019s Republican leadership has responded to the IVF battle, for the most part, with radio silence.\u00a0 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/senate\/\">Senate<\/a> Minority Leader <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/mitch-mcconnell\/\">Mitch McConnell<\/a> (R-KY), Sens. John Barrasso (R-WY), and John Boozman (R-AR), have steered clear of the issue, signaling to their conference that the best message is no message at all.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>McConnell\u2019s leadership style on IVF has invited increasing criticism from his conference. Last week, Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/congress\/senate-republicans-block-bill-protect-americans-access-contraception-rcna155448\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>slammed<\/a> the GOP leader for failing to negotiate with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) ahead of the vote on the <em>Right to Contraception Act<\/em>.\u00a0 \u201cThere was no engagement. We had no leadership on this whatsoever. And listen, there are a lot of smart people in that room, but you know, you need a leader,\u201d Johnson claimed.<\/p>\n<figure><figcaption>Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., smiles as he speaks with reporters following a Republican policy meeting, at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, May 8, 2024. (AP Photo\/J. Scott Applewhite)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Social media engagement on X showcases the stark difference between leadership\u2019s engagement on the IVF issue. Schumer has posted on the issue 15 times since February\u2019s ruling.\u00a0McConnell has posted zero times.\u00a0No one on the GOP Senate leadership team has posted on the issue, while nearly every top Senate Democrat has attacked Republicans repeatedly on social media.<\/p>\n<p>Sen. James Lankford (R-OK) explained the basis of Republican leadership\u2019s messaging, or lack thereof, during an interview with the <em>Washington Examiner.<\/em>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf I go backward and say six months ago, were Republicans posting about IVF online? You would say no, and you would say that\u2019s normal. Why should they post online about IVF? Because there\u2019s not a threat to it. So now your question is Democrats are posting like crazy on this. So why aren\u2019t you?\u00a0 Because it\u2019s not a threat. No one\u2019s taking away IVF,\u201d Lankford said.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Lankford says the GOP\u2019s messaging strategy follows polling data. \u201cWe can either try to live in the messaging that [Democrats] are trying to drive and say they\u2019re trying to make people afraid or we can talk about the issues that Americans are actually talking about. Americans are talking about things like the border.\u00a0 Americans talking about inflation, Americans talk about the price of groceries and gas. Every poll that you see, the things that Americans are talking about are those things. IVF is not showing up on the list of things that Americans are talking about all the time,\u201d Lankford noted.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Other Senate Republicans have taken their messaging lead of GOP leadership. From Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) to Sen. John Hoeven (R-ND), tens of Republicans have elected to ignore the issue.<\/p>\n<p>Paul has been silent since the February ruling. However, in<a href=\"https:\/\/rollcall.com\/2024\/02\/23\/alabama-ivf-ruling-spurs-a-gop-reckoning-on-conception-bills\/\"> 2021<\/a>, the Kentucky senator <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2024\/02\/26\/politics\/republicans-life-at-conception-act\/index.html\">offered<\/a> a pro-IVF addition to House Republicans\u2019 controversial <em>Life at Conception Act<\/em>. His measure stated, \u201cNothing in this Act shall be construed to require the prosecution of any woman for the death of her unborn child, a prohibition on in vitro fertilization, or a prohibition on use of birth control or another means of preventing fertilization.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Moran has also made no comments since Alabama\u2019s IVF ruling, <a href=\"https:\/\/hutchpost.com\/posts\/7ca240f6-f794-4a1c-b0ca-6e61353024fe\">missing<\/a> the Senate\u2019s Wednesday vote on Democrats\u2019 <em>Right to Contraception Act. <\/em>\u00a0A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.moran.senate.gov\/public\/index.cfm\/life\">page<\/a> on his official Senate website reads \u201cI oppose the destruction of human embryos for stem cell research,\u201d while not specifying any position on embryos destroyed during the IVF process. The <em>Washington Examiner<\/em> reached out for comment to Moran.<\/p>\n<p>Except for a statement his spokesperson <a href=\"https:\/\/www.charlotteobserver.com\/opinion\/article286129016.html\">made<\/a> to the <em>Charlotte Observer<\/em> in March, Tillis has stayed under wraps. In the spring, his spokesman said he believed \u201cprotecting access to IVF and other fertility treatments\u2026is about creating life, not destroying it,\u201d adding he wasn\u2019t worried about other states following Alabama\u2019s lead on IVF.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Senate Republican outliers on the IVF issue<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>While every Republican senator says IVF should be protected, there are a few outliers in the party. A few embrace the nuance in the issue, pairing support for IVF with concerns about the \u201cethical dilemma\u201d it poses. Two other senators have left party lines to side with Democrats on their \u201creproductive rights\u201d bills.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) is a rare sighting on Capitol Hill: a Republican who isn\u2019t silent about the uncomfortable tensions pro-life conservatives see in IVF, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2024\/03\/16\/1238966404\/how-ivf-is-complicating-republicans-abortion-messaging\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>calling<\/a> it \u201ca very difficult bioethical issue\u201d in March. In a statement to the <em>Washington Examiner, <\/em>the Floridan was brutally honest about IVF\u2019s complexity.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe must establish commonsense guardrails for IVF to address the ethical dilemma it poses, which is that in order to create life, you also have to destroy life because embryos are created that are not going to be used,\u201d Rubio told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>During <a href=\"https:\/\/www.yahoo.com\/news\/gop-senators-support-ivf-just-105900014.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>interviews<\/a> with the <em>New Republic<\/em> after the Alabama ruling, some of Rubio\u2019s Senate colleagues agreed with him; others have expressed a different perspective. Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R\u2013OK) didn\u2019t define an embryo as life in March. The freshman senator, whose wife underwent fertility treatment over seven years, told the news outlet that when he \u201cheard a heartbeat\u2014that was life to me. I mean, that was my child. When you start talking about that, I start looking towards a heartbeat, because that\u2019s when life begins.\u201d Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) said questions of embryo\u2019s legal personhood should be dealt with in individual states, while Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) declined to support legal personhood for \u201can in vitro situation.\u201d However, Sen. Roger Marshall (R-KS) expressed concern over the growing number of frozen embryos, calling it a \u201ctough question\u201d that should be dealt with at the state level. In March, Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2024\/03\/16\/1238966404\/how-ivf-is-complicating-republicans-abortion-messaging\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>dismissed<\/a> questions about embryos destroyed during the IVF process. \u201cHaving a baby is a pro-life thing. So I\u2019m in favor of it,\u201d he said.\u00a0Sen. Ted Budd (R-NC) touched on the issue of frozen embryos in February, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/politics\/2024\/02\/27\/republicans-complicated-relationship-with-ivf\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>telling<\/a> the <em>Washington Post<\/em> that while he supports IVF, \u201cthere are other complexities,\u201d regarding unused embryos.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Throwing away embryos is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.medpagetoday.com\/obgyn\/infertility\/108932\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>inherent<\/a> to the IVF process. In the United States, embryos with a genetic or chromosome abnormality, are usually discarded, while sex selection or \u201csocial sexing\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC6911130\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>leads<\/a> to the subsequent disposal of healthy embryos. Additionally, the National Embryo Donation Center estimates as many as 1.5 million embryos are currently frozen or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/health\/features\/nation-s-fertility-clinics-struggle-growing-number-abandoned-embryos-n1040806\">abandoned<\/a> across the country.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>When asked if there is any tension between being pro-IVF and pro-life, Sen. Lankford (R-OK) broached some of Rubio and Budd\u2019s concerns. The only Senator on Capitol Hill who offered to interview with the<em> Washington Examiner<\/em>, the Oklahoma Republican was adamant during a call that IVF \u201cis passionately pro-life.\u201d However, Lankford also brought up worries he has about \u201cthe embryos that are frozen and that remain,\u201d calling it, \u201ca moral challenge.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Lankford offered up solutions: supporting embryo adoption and embracing more alternatives to IVF. \u201cSome families I know are adopting some of those embryos, and they are carrying those embryos and it becomes a celebration of life for them as well,\u201d Lankford said, adding that there are \u201cother ways of trying to be able to support families in their infertility. IVF is not the only option. It\u2019s usually the last option because it is so expensive. So there\u2019s a lot of work to be able to say \u2018what can we do to be able to not just\u00a0buy IVF but talk about infertility.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<figure><figcaption>U.S. Sen. James Lankford, left, and his wife Cindy Lankford, right, greet supporters at a Republican Party watch party Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo\/Sue Ogrocki)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>When pressed on alternative solutions to infertility, Lankford mentioned basic lifestyle factors should play a role in the conversation around fertility. The senator commented there is a need to \u201chelp families through things like their basic health care, adding that \u201cthere\u2019s a lot of things you can do with health and nutrition. Lankford doesn\u2019t want women who struggle with infertility to feel like \u201ctheir only option is IVF.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Federal data backs Lankford up. National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, basic health care factors including \u201cobesity, strenuous physical labor, excessive exercise, substance use, heavy drinking, high blood pressure and others [have led] to increasing rates of infertility.\u201d The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services says the same: \u201cLifestyle factors\u2014what you eat, how well you sleep, where you live, and other behaviors\u2014have profound effects on health and disease. Fertility is no exception,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nichd.nih.gov\/health\/topics\/infertility\/conditioninfo\/causes\/lifestyle\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>states<\/a> the HHS.\u00a0According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the fertility rate for women in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/nchs\/data\/vsrr\/vsrr035.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>2023<\/a> dropped to 1.62 births per woman, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/us-news\/america-birth-rate-decline-a111d21b\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>lowest<\/a> in United States history.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>As one of the few Senate Republicans willing to publicly expound on the fertility issue, Lankford also\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/SenatorLankford\/videos\/i-am-a-republican-who-is-passionate-about-the-value-of-every-single-child-and-al\/1826935424394753\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>shot down<\/a> Democrats\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lankford.senate.gov\/news\/in-the-news\/lankford-objects-to-bill-with-dangerously-broad-definitions-that-allows-human-cloning-embryo-discrimination-and-much-more\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Veterans Families Health Services Act of 2023<\/a> in March. While Democrats branded the legislation as expanding and supporting veterans\u2019 access to IVF treatments, Lankford voted to block the bill, saying it had \u201coverly broad definitions\u2014opening the door for human cloning, embryo discrimination, and much more.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>While some Senate Republican outliers weigh the ethical dilemma surrounding embryos, two others have run to the other side of the aisle. Pro-abortion Sens. Susan Collins (R-ME) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) have crossed party lines during the IVF controversy. Both senators were the only Republicans to vote in favor of the <em>Right to Contraception<\/em> bill on Wednesday and they both support federal protections for IVF. <\/p>\n<h3><strong>Senate Republicans pushing back on Democrats\u2019 claims<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Many Senate Republicans are focused on pushing back on Democrats\u2019 claims that fertility treatment and reproductive rights are under attack.<\/p>\n<p>Initially saying he was \u201call for\u201d the court\u2019s decision, Tuberville has called Democrats\u2019 framing of the IVF issue \u201ctotally false.\u201d\u00a0In March he <a href=\"https:\/\/www.newsweek.com\/gops-tommy-tuberville-praises-katie-britt-playing-role-housewife-1877450\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>told<\/a> <em>Newsweek<\/em>, \u201cYou know, the Supreme Court jumped in to help out a disaster when somebody dropped some of those embryos. But the Statehouse jumped in, and they did a clarification, passed a law, and Governor [Kay] Ivey\u2019s already signed it.\u201d He added, \u201cWe\u2019re all for IVF.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In a statement, Tubberville\u2019s communications director, Mallory Jaspers, told the <em>Washington Examiner,<\/em> \u201cThis bill [the <em>Right to Contraception Act<\/em>] is just the latest step in Democrats\u2019 attempts to make this election all about abortion. Sen. Tuberville fully supports IVF, which is legal in Alabama and a great option for many families. Democrats are lying about states like Alabama \u2013 no one is trying to cancel IVF or ban contraception. Voters will see right through this.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>When Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), blocked Democrats\u2019 <em>Access to Family Building Act<\/em>, in late February, she explained in a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hydesmith.senate.gov\/hyde-smith-statement-ivf-and-s3612\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>statement<\/a> the bill was unnecessary because \u201cin reality, no states have banned or intend to ban IVF.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA), the top Republican on the Senate Health, Labor, Education, and Pensions Committee, has said, \u201cThe Democrats are using their power to push an alarmist and false narrative that there is a problem accessing contraception.\u201d Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), considered to be a top contender as former President Donald Trump\u2019s running mate, has said contraception is already accessible across the country. Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) has called the suggestion that basic contraception rights are under attack \u201cembarrassing,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/politics\/2024\/06\/05\/senate-gop-contraception\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>saying<\/a>, \u201cIt\u2019s a phony vote because contraception to my knowledge is not illegal. It\u2019s not unavailable.\u201d The Texan has <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/JohnCornyn\/status\/1763559556943069283\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>noted<\/a> that Alabama\u2019s legislature passed a bill to protect IVF centers in the wake of its Supreme Court ruling\u2019s backlash.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) has stepped up his engagement with the IVF issue since announcing his bid to replace Sen. Mitch McConnell as the Senate\u2019s next Republican leader. The Floridan launched a 7-figure <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=PI-sbOw1ncE\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>ad-buy<\/a> last week to boost the GOP\u2019s image as rock-solid IVF supporters. In the ad, Scott says, \u201cAttack ads say the same crazy stuff about every Republican. \u2018They hate women, birth control, even IVF.\u2019 It\u2019s ridiculous.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Scott adds, \u201c IVF \u2014 in vitro fertilization \u2014 has brought beautiful babies to so many families. For me, it\u2019s personal. My youngest daughter has been undergoing IVF treatments to grow her family. I\u2019m Rick Scott, and this grandpa will always protect IVF.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>In March, Scott led a bicameral resolution supporting IVF as it stands, saying in a statement at the time, \u201cIVF is a wonderful thing that enables so many Americans struggling with infertility to have children and start a family\u2026 While IVF remains available in all 50 states, I believe it is important for the Senate to make clear our unwavering support for current and aspiring parents using IVF to start and grow their families.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>During a Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing in March on reproductive rights, Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), John Kennedy (R-LA, and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=teuMI2mCdhQ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>attempted<\/a> to flip the script on reproductive rights.\u00a0\u201cI support IVF\u2026I\u2019m a mom and a grandmom. I have plenty of friends that have used IVF,\u201d Blackburn <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=7vDn-qjyIC4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>said<\/a> during the hearing in March. She then argued that Democrats are pushing for \u201cabortion on demand from conception to birth.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>In a <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/LindseyGrahamSC\/status\/1761466271579914434?lang=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>post<\/a> to X after Alabama\u2019s ruling, Graham said, \u201cThe last thing Republicans will do is shut down fertility clinics and limit access to legal birth control.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Senate Republicans who support federal legislation to protect IVF<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Many Republicans support enacting federal protections for IVF and contraceptive rights, despite the GOP\u2019s position that IVF and family planning measures are not under attack in any state.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>In February, Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT) said he would support federal protections, while recently telling the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>, \u201cAccess to IVF is not under attack despite Democrats\u2019 baseless attempts to tell the American people the opposite.\u201d The National Republican Senatorial Committee, which Daines co-chairs, has also <a href=\"https:\/\/www.axios.com\/local\/des-moines\/2024\/06\/06\/gop-leverages-ernst-bill\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>endorsed<\/a> reproductive rights legislation led by Sens. Joni Ernst (R-IA) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV).<em> <\/em>Introduced as a conservative alternative to Democrats\u2019 <em>Right to Contraception Act<\/em>, the female Republicans <a href=\"https:\/\/www.capito.senate.gov\/news\/in-the-news\/legislation-on-contraception-captures-west-virginia-senators-attention\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>say<\/a> their <em>Allowing Greater Access to Safe and Effective Contraception Act<\/em> strikes the right balance between supporting \u201ceasier access to safe birth control\u201d and \u201censur[ing] tax dollars are not being used to fund abortions or abortion providers.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In May, Sens. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Katie Britt (R-AL) <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/3009518\/cruz-britt-introduce-bill-medicaid-funding-states-banning-ivf\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>introduced<\/a> a bill cutting Medicaid funding to any state that might ban IVF.\u00a0 Cruz told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>, \u201cIf you look nationally, Americans overwhelmingly support IVF. Our bill contains conscience protections and of course no one is going to be forced to use IVF, but we should make sure that Americans have the choice to use this technology if they want to. There is nothing on earth like having a little girl or a little boy or raising a baby\u2014being parents. IVF is incredibly life-affirming. It is all about bringing life into the world, being a parent and loving a child. That option should be protected.\u201d The senators\u2019 <em>IVF Protection Act<\/em> comes after Cruz claimed Democrats\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.duckworth.senate.gov\/imo\/media\/doc\/240116accesstofamilybuildingbilltext.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title><em>Access to Family Building Act<\/em>,<\/a> was \u201ca back-door in broader abortion legislation.\u201d Democrats <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cortezmasto.senate.gov\/news\/press-releases\/cortez-masto-joins-bill-to-protect-womens-access-to-ivf\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>claimed<\/a> their legislation was all about \u201cestablish[ing a legal right to IVF and other assisted reproductive services.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>For her part, Britt has shown her full support for IVF, becoming one of the loudest Republican voices for the fertility treatment. She allegedly <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/live-updates\/2024\/02\/29\/congress\/thune-soft-launches-gop-leader-bid-00144110\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>spoke<\/a> to former President Donald Trump before he made a statement supporting IVF after Alabama\u2019s ruling while leading a Senate Republican meeting on the issue shortly after the court\u2019s decision in February.\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure><figcaption>Republican U.S. Senate candidate Katie Britt talks to supporters with her family by her side during her watch party, Tuesday, May 24, 2022, in Montgomery, Ala. (Photo\/Butch Dill)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Sens. Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) and Roger Wicker (R-MS) also joined the bill. Lummis told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>, \u201cChildren are one of life\u2019s true blessings, and for some, IVF is one of the only paths to parenthood. I remain steadfast in my commitment to not only protecting IVF and fertility treatments but in making it easier to access and more affordable for folks in Wyoming. While Democrats continue to fearmonger and push lies, I will remain an ardent defender of life and pro-family policies in Washington.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Sen. Todd Young, (R-IN) has joined his Republican colleagues in <a href=\"https:\/\/indianacapitalchronicle.com\/2024\/02\/29\/u-s-senate-republican-blocks-legislation-protecting-in-vitro-fertilization\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>claiming<\/a> he \u201cwould entertain legislation to preserve that important prerogative for women and families,\u201d while Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/story\/news\/politics\/2024\/02\/28\/senate-gop-ivf-alabama-congress-democrats-abortion\/72761300007\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>initially<\/a> expressed support for federal legislation saying, \u201cI\u2019d have several fewer grandkids if we didn\u2019t have IVF.\u201d He qualified his remarks <a href=\"https:\/\/missouriindependent.com\/2024\/02\/29\/u-s-senate-republican-blocks-legislation-protecting-in-vitro-fertilization\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>later<\/a>, Congress didn\u2019t have \u201cenough of a window on that at this stage in that it\u2019s not been an issue for any state other than Alabama,\u201d while adding \u201cthe Alabama Legislature, as I understand it, is attempting to deal with this legislatively, so I don\u2019t think it\u2019s an issue elsewhere.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Sen. Roger Marshall (R-KS) also supports federal legislation on IVF.\u00a0In April, he <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nationalreview.com\/news\/exclusive-bipartisan-senators-to-introduce-bill-requiring-insurers-to-cover-ivf-treatments\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>announced<\/a> bipartisan legislation with Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) to expand Americans\u2019 insurance options to cover IVF and other fertility treatments. It is unclear whether the bill is still moving through the Senate. The <em>Washington Examiner <\/em>reached out to Marshall for comment.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>In a recent statement to the Washington Examiner, Marshall called IVF, a \u201cmiracle.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn America, 200 beautiful babies will be born today thanks to the miracle of in vitro fertilization (IVF). As an obstetrician, I have witnessed firsthand the gift of this technology to countless families. We thank God for the technology that allows us to provide hope and joy to moms &#038; dads struggling with infertility. The Republican party is the pro-family party, and nothing is more pro-family than welcoming a baby into the arms of their mom &#038; dad,\u201d Marshal said.<\/p>\n<p>Sen. Markwayne Mullins (R-OK) has said he would be open to creating federal protection for IVF, <a href=\"https:\/\/missouriindependent.com\/2024\/02\/29\/u-s-senate-republican-blocks-legislation-protecting-in-vitro-fertilization\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>saying<\/a> \u201cHopefully, we don\u2019t have to do this federally, but if we do need to, I can assure you I\u2019ll be right in the middle of that fight, fighting for it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In the weeks following the Alabama ruling, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) called for Congress to increase access to and coordination between government programs for pregnant women. He also <a href=\"https:\/\/ca.news.yahoo.com\/pro-life-pro-ivf-alabama-163245056.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>called<\/a> for \u201clegal protection for IVF\u201d while not specifying if he meant federal or state.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Senate Republicans for leaving IVF up to states\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Several supporters of IVF in the upper chamber\u2019s GOP caucus say they would rather leave the IVF issue is best left to the states. Sen. John Thune (R-SD), one of the few Senate Republican leaders who have publicly commented on IVF, has said the issue shouldn\u2019t be decided by \u201cWashington DC but by the American people.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEvery state gots their own views on this [IVF], and their state legislatures reflect that,\u201d the Republican<a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/CBSNews\/status\/1766138326782800202\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title> told<\/a> CBS News in March.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD) has shown support for a similar approach to IVF. In February, Thune\u2019s South Dakota Republican counterpart <a href=\"https:\/\/www.spokesman.com\/stories\/2024\/feb\/28\/senate-republican-blocks-bill-to-protect-ivf-treat\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>commented<\/a>, \u201cIndividual states look at all the different issues surrounding this particular issue in particular, you\u2019re going to get a number of different ideas about how to approach it.\u201d Sen. Mike Braun (R-IN) shared similar sentiments after the Alabama ruling, saying he was confident the state\u2019s legislature would address any issues while other states would \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2024\/02\/28\/us\/politics\/senate-republicans-ivf-bill.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>wrestle<\/a>\u201d with the question of embryos on an individual basis.\u00a0In the aftermath of the Alabama ruling, Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) also expressed faith that Alabama\u2019s legislature would take care of any IVF hurdles while saying he wasn\u2019t worried about IVF facing battles in any other states.<\/p>\n<p>Likewise, a spokeswoman for Sen. Mike Crapo (R-ID) <a href=\"https:\/\/www.spokesman.com\/stories\/2024\/mar\/01\/as-the-infertility-treatment-comes-under-threat-na\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>said<\/a> in March: \u201cStates should act on IVF, not Congress.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In February, Alabama&#8217;s Supreme Court declared embryos human, sparking nationwide controversy. The Democratic Party quickly framed the ruling as anti-IVF, arguing that Republican anti-abortion stances conflict with pro-IVF views, placing Republicans in a challenging position<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3142,"featured_media":2263183,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/AP24129748905122.jpg.optimal.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2263182","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/AP24129748905122.jpg.optimal.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2263182","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3142"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2263182"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2263182\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2263183"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2263182"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2263182"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2263182"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}