{"id":2341329,"date":"2024-09-15T06:19:01","date_gmt":"2024-09-15T10:19:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-and-schumer-needle-gop-on-ivf-insurance-mandates-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-09-15T06:21:54","modified_gmt":"2024-09-15T10:21:54","slug":"trump-and-schumer-needle-gop-on-ivf-insurance-mandates-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-and-schumer-needle-gop-on-ivf-insurance-mandates-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"Trump and Schumer needle GOP on IVF insurance mandates &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/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%2Ftrump-and-schumer-needle-gop-on-ivf-insurance-mandates-washington-examiner%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=2341329&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>The\u2063 article discusses \u2063the ongoing debate among Senate Republicans regarding in vitro \u2062fertilization \u200c(IVF) \u200dlegislation,\u2063 particularly in light of \u200bformer President Donald Trump&#8217;s\u2064 recent proposal\u2062 to make IVF treatments free. Trump\u2019s initiative poses a \u200dchallenge for Senate Republicans, who had previously rejected\u200d a bill called the\u200c Right to IVF Act that aimed to \u200bensure\u2064 greater access and insurance coverage for IVF. Senate \u2064Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has revived the\u200d bill\u200c after Trump&#8217;s announcement,\u200c arguing that Republicans must clarify their stance on providing access to IVF.<\/p>\n<p>Despite\u2063 the heightened attention\u200d from Trump&#8217;s proposal, \u2064many Senate Republicans remain resistant to the upcoming vote, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/jim-jordan-proposes-defunding-prosecutors-in-trump-cases\/\" title=\"Jim Jordan suggests cutting funds for prosecutors handling Trump&#039;s cases\">citing political motivations<\/a> and\u200b <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/judge-claims-of-gentrification-cannot-stop-new-development-in-south-los-angeles\/\" title=\"Judge: Claims of \u2018Gentrification\u2019 Cannot Stop New Development in South Los Angeles\u00a0\">potential negative impacts<\/a> on insurance \u2064rates.\u2064 Senators \u2063Markwayne Mullin and Cynthia Lummis expressed skepticism about \u200cSchumer\u2019s intentions and the implications of mandating\u2062 IVF coverage. The \u200cRight to IVF Act is\u2064 significant\u2063 because it seeks to safeguard access to IVF, particularly following legal concerns \u2063that emerged after a ruling in\u200c Alabama \u200cregarding the status\u2062 of embryos.<\/p>\n<p>the article highlights the complex interplay of politics, healthcare, and \u2062reproductive rights \u2064as Senate \u200cRepublicans navigate internal \u2062pressures and the broader implications of Trump&#8217;s IVF proposal ahead of an upcoming vote.  <\/p>\n<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<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Senate Republicans unswayed on IVF legislation despite Trump proposal<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1744781\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>Former President <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/Donald-Trump\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Donald Trump<\/a>&rsquo;s pledge to make<a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/healthcare\/3139549\/conservatives-deride-trump-ivf-plan-worse-obamacare-mandate\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title> in vitro fertilization free<\/a> if he wins a second term is putting Senate Republicans on the spot after they killed legislation in the upper chamber earlier this year that sought to do just that.<br \/><strong><br \/><\/strong>The Senate is now scheduled to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/3152313\/chuck-schumer-gop-on-defense-ivf-proposal\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>hold another vote<\/a> next week on the failed bill, dubbed the Right to IVF Act.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) revived the measure following Trump&rsquo;s unveiling of his proposal, which would <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/california-bill-would-make-insurance-fund-unlimited-attempts-to-create-motherless-and-fatherless-children\/\" title=\"California Bill Proposes Unlimited Insurance Coverage for Assisted Reproduction\">require insurance companies<\/a> or taxpayers to pick up the tab for IVF treatments.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Republicans can&rsquo;t claim to be pro-family only to block protections for IVF,&rdquo; Schumer said. &ldquo;The American people deserve another chance to see if Republicans are for access to IVF or against it. It&rsquo;s that simple.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The bill <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/3042688\/senate-gop-defeats-democrat-ivf-bill\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"failed in June\">failed in June<\/a> over GOP opposition but managed to garner the support of two Republicans: Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine.<\/p>\n<p>However, that was before Trump threw a wrench into the mix by proposing to make IVF, an expensive fertility treatment that is only covered in certain states and runs tens of thousands of dollars, free by requiring either insurers or the government to pay for treatments.<\/p>\n<p>Still, the former president&rsquo;s policy proposal hasn&rsquo;t appeared to sway the minds of Senate <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/Republicans\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Republicans<\/a> ahead of next week&rsquo;s vote.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I have an issue anytime we&rsquo;re making a political vote, and I don&rsquo;t trust a thing Schumer&rsquo;s trying to do right now,&rdquo; Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s fighting to be leader, and he&rsquo;s going to try to put a bunch of people in a bad position. It&rsquo;s going to be funny, though, because he may put his own members in a bad position with the vote, too.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) voiced similar resistance, chalking up the forthcoming vote to politics just weeks before Election Day.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The mandate part is not something that attracts me because this is more about messaging at this point,&rdquo; Lummis said.<\/p>\n<p>She also cited concerns over potentially raising already high insurance rates for those never planning to use IVF.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;What I fear is this is a giant overreaction in a hyper political atmosphere to make a national issue out of a state issue,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;Mandating <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/insurance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>insurance<\/a> coverage for this can end up driving up insurance rates for people who have no intention of ever accessing IVF.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Trump has offered few details, but he&rsquo;s pledged for either the government or insurance companies to cover IVF for &ldquo;all Americans that need it.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;re doing this because we just think it&rsquo;s great and we need great children, beautiful children in our country,&rdquo; he <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/NBCNews\/status\/1829262743657918686\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>told<\/a> NBC News. &ldquo;We are going to be paying for that treatment, or we&rsquo;re going to be mandating that the insurance company pay.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>His comments <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/healthcare\/3139549\/conservatives-deride-trump-ivf-plan-worse-obamacare-mandate\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"irked conservatives\">irked conservatives<\/a>, who derided the plan as worse than Obamacare. <\/p>\n<p>Lummis downplayed Trump&rsquo;s broad pledge.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I think he was just trying to use it as an avenue to voice his support for IVF and not specifically demanding the insurance component of IVF,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;I think this is ending up being elevated unnecessarily.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The Right to IVF Act includes four bills that would ensure access to IVF after the Alabama Supreme Court <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/healthcare\/2896849\/alabama-ivf-protection-bill-passes-both-chambers\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>briefly threw it into jeopardy<\/a> by ruling embryos were considered people, which essentially forced treatments to halt in a post-<em>Roe<\/em> era. The legislation also requires health insurance providers to cover the costly treatment, safeguard IVF providers from legal liability, and protect access for service members and veterans.<\/p>\n<p>It was part of a series of bills this summer put up for votes by Schumer that were designed to thrust reproductive rights into the spotlight, an election-year issue Democrats hope will buoy their candidates at the voting booth. A vote to overcome a filibuster was 48-47, falling well short of the required 60.<\/p>\n<p>Senate Republicans counterprogrammed the vote by putting forward <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/3037052\/republicans-prepare-to-counter-democrats-on-ivf-ahead-of-senate-vote\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"their own legislation\">their own legislation<\/a> on IVF, which was shot down by Democrats under a unanimous consent request. Among their concerns, Republicans cited religious liberty.<\/p>\n<p>Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) signaled an openness to an insurance mandate if the legislation would be more narrowly tailored and rid of poison pills. He predicted that such a measure would garner enough bipartisan support to clear the Senate&rsquo;s 60-vote threshold.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Hawley&rsquo;s wife, attorney Erin Hawley, has handled a number of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/abort-republicans-dem-city-council-members-coffee-shop-sells-disturbing-stickers\/\" title=\"\u2018Abort Republicans\u2019: Dem City Council Member\u2019s Coffee Shop Sells Disturbing Stickers\">abortion-related cases<\/a>, including an attempt to have the Supreme Court impose restrictions on the abortion-inducing medication mifepristone.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;As a mandate, that kind of thing doesn&rsquo;t bother me that much,&rdquo; Hawley said. &ldquo;There are interesting ways to go about this, and I&rsquo;m interested in all of that &mdash; if it&rsquo;s about IVF. But if it&rsquo;s that plus these 15 other things, then no.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1744781\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1744781\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Senate Republicans remain firm against IVF legislation despite Trump&#8217;s proposal. Former President Donald Trump has promised to make in vitro fertilization (IVF) free if he secures a second term, putting pressure on Senate Republicans who previously rejected a bill aimed at achieving this goal. The Senate is set to vote again next week on the failed Right to IVF Act, which was revived by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) following Trump&#8217;s announcement that insurance companies or taxpayers would cover the costs of IVF treatments. Schumer criticized Republicans for blocking protections for IVF while claiming to support family values, stating that Americans deserve clarity on whether Republicans support or oppose access to IVF.<\/p>\n<p>The bill had previously failed in June due to Republican opposition but received backing from two GOP senators: Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine. However, Trump&#8217;s recent proposal complicates matters as it suggests making the costly fertility treatment free\u2014an option not available in all states and often costing tens of thousands of dollars\u2014by requiring insurers or the government to pay for it. Despite this, Senate Republicans appear unmoved ahead of next week&#8217;s vote.<\/p>\n<p>Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) expressed skepticism about Schumer&#8217;s motives and suggested that political maneuvering could backfire on Democrats as well. Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) echoed similar sentiments, viewing the upcoming vote as politically charged just before Election Day and expressing concerns about potential increases in insurance rates for those not seeking IVF.<\/p>\n<p>Trump&#8217;s vague commitment includes covering IVF costs for &#8220;all Americans who need it,&#8221; emphasizing a desire for more children in the country. His remarks have drawn criticism from conservatives who view his plan unfavorably compared to Obamacare. Lummis downplayed Trump&#8217;s broad statement, suggesting he was merely expressing general support rather than insisting on an insurance mandate.<\/p>\n<p>The Right to IVF Act consists of four bills designed to ensure access after legal challenges arose regarding embryo status post-Roe v. Wade ruling, mandating health insurance coverage for expensive treatments while protecting providers from legal liability and ensuring access for military personnel and veterans. This legislation is part of a broader Democratic strategy aimed at highlighting reproductive rights during an election year.<\/p>\n<p>A previous attempt at overcoming a filibuster fell short with a 48-47 vote against the required 60 votes needed; meanwhile, Senate Republicans proposed their own legislation concerning IVF but faced unanimous opposition from Democrats due to concerns over religious freedom among other issues.<\/p>\n<p>Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) indicated he might be open to an insurance mandate if it were more narrowly focused without additional contentious provisions; he believes such targeted measures could gain bipartisan support necessary for passage through the Senate\u2019s threshold<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3108,"featured_media":2341330,"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\/09\/trump-schumer-ivf-senate-republicans.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[6203,4411,3634],"class_list":["post-2341329","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-gop","tag-schumer","tag-trump"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/trump-schumer-ivf-senate-republicans.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2341329","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\/3108"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2341329"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2341329\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2341330"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2341329"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2341329"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2341329"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}