{"id":2342427,"date":"2024-09-17T16:22:02","date_gmt":"2024-09-17T20:22:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ivf-access-bill-fails-again-in-senate-after-trumps-show-of-support-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-09-17T16:23:57","modified_gmt":"2024-09-17T20:23:57","slug":"ivf-access-bill-fails-again-in-senate-after-trumps-show-of-support-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ivf-access-bill-fails-again-in-senate-after-trumps-show-of-support-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"IVF access bill fails again in Senate after Trump&#8217;s show of support &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"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\">30<\/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%2Fivf-access-bill-fails-again-in-senate-after-trumps-show-of-support-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=2342427&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>Senate Republicans \u200dhave blocked a Democratic-led bill aimed \u2062at \u200dprotecting access to in \u200cvitro fertilization (IVF),\u200b following former President Trump&#8217;s recent pledge of support for IVF coverage by \u200bprivate insurers. The legislation, called the Right to\u2062 IVF Act, sought to enhance\u2062 insurance accessibility for \u200dIVF\u2063 treatments, particularly for \u200bmilitary members \u2064and veterans. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer \u200demphasized the increasing vulnerability of IVF access, especially after \u2063a ruling in Alabama\u200d that considered IVF embryos\u2063 as children. Despite the Democrats&#8217; efforts, the vote\u200c fell\u200c short\u200b of the \u200bnecessary \u206360 votes, \u2064reflecting a consistent party-line division,\u2063 with only two Republicans \u200dbreaking ranks to \u2064support the bill. Republicans characterized the \u200dDemocratic push as a political stunt, asserting that IVF access is not genuinely threatened. The discussion highlights growing \u200dtensions \u2064around \u2064reproductive rights as the November elections approach, with accusations of fearmongering and calls for more substantial dialogue on the\u200b issue from \u200dboth sides of the aisle.  <\/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\">Bill to protect IVF access blocked again in Senate after Trump&rsquo;s pledge of support<\/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_1762712\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/senate-republicans\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Democratic\">Senate Republicans<\/a> on Tuesday blocked consideration of a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/democratic\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Democratic\">Democratic<\/a>-led bill to protect access to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/ivf\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Democratic\">in vitro fertilization<\/a>, the latest effort to put the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/gop\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Democratic\">GOP<\/a> on the defensive over the issue in the run-up to the November elections.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>The result was expected, marking <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/3042688\/senate-gop-defeats-democrat-ivf-bill\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>the second time<\/a> the measure has been blocked from advancing.<\/p>\n<p>Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) brought the bill back to the floor on Tuesday, an effort to turn up the heat on Republicans who have opposed IVF access but now must grapple with campaign <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/3153727\/senate-republicans-unswayed-ivf-legislation-trump-proposal\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>promises from former President Donald Trump<\/a> to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/house-gop-tees-up-woke-week-votes-with-spending-bill-in-limbo-washington-examiner\/\" title=\"House GOP tees up \u2018woke week\u2019 votes with spending bill in limbo - Washington Examiner\">require private insurance companies<\/a> to cover the procedure.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The vote was 51-44 mostly along party lines and falling well short of the required 60 votes needed to break a filibuster and advance the legislation. Sens. Susan Collins (R-ME) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) were the lone Republicans to cross the aisle and vote with Democrats.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Senate Democrats arrive to speak on the Senate Steps before the Senate takes up Sena. Tammy Duckworth&rsquo;s bill, the Right to IVF Act on Tuesday, September 17, 2024. (Bill Clark\/CQ Roll Call via AP Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&ldquo;In Alabama this year, we saw just how vulnerable IVF has become as the next target of ultra-conservatives,&rdquo; Schumer said, speaking on the Senate steps on Tuesday ahead of the vote. &ldquo;Since then, we have seen Republicans tie themselves in knots over their support for IVF, claiming they support access to IVF, support insurance paying for IVF treatments, support helping families pay for IVF. Then, when the rubber hits the road, they vote no.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.congress.gov\/bill\/118th-congress\/senate-bill\/4445#:~:text=This%20bill%20provides%20a%20statutory,embryos)%20without%20limitation%20or%20interference.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>The Right to IVF Act <\/a>was introduced by Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), who used IVF to have her two children. The legislation would make the treatment more accessible through insurance and for members of the military and veterans.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The legislation was introduced shortly after the Alabama Supreme Court ruled the embryos used in IVF should be considered children, jeopardizing access to the treatment in February. Even though the state&rsquo;s legislature <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/healthcare\/2896849\/alabama-ivf-protection-bill-passes-both-chambers\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>passed bills <\/a>to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/n-y-governor-approves-abortion-safe-haven-laws\/\" title=\"N.Y. governor approves abortion safe haven laws\">provide legal protections<\/a> for IVF in the wake of the ruling, Democrats argue that access to reproductive care is at risk across the country.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;States like Alabama have seen clinics shut down and women forced to ship their embryos out of state because of what Donald Trump did,&rdquo; Duckworth said in a call hosted by the Harris campaign ahead of the Senate vote. &ldquo;I can&rsquo;t imagine having gone through my IVF journey under the extreme restrictive laws that Donald Trump made possible.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Many Republicans are&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/healthcare\/3139549\/conservatives-deride-trump-ivf-plan-worse-obamacare-mandate\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">pushing back<\/a>&nbsp;against Trump&rsquo;s proposal and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/3153727\/senate-republicans-unswayed-ivf-legislation-trump-proposal\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"have expressed skepticism\">have expressed skepticism<\/a> and concern about the high cost of such a policy.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know of any Republicans not favor of IVF,&rdquo; said Sen. John Thune (R-SD), the No. 2 Republican in the Senate, speaking with reporters last week. &ldquo;The mandate part, that&rsquo;s a challenging issue for lots of reasons, not the least of which is what it does to insurance costs. We put a lot of mandates on insurance companies as it is already.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Republicans on Tuesday criticized the Democratic-led legislation as a political show vote and called the effort &ldquo;continued fearmongering.&rdquo;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Despite Democrats&rsquo; efforts to manufacture a campaign issue months before the election, access to IVF is not under threat,&rdquo; said Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA), the ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee. &ldquo;If we want to have a comprehensive conversation about IVF, we can do that, but forcing a vote on legislation that has already failed in the Senate is a bad faith attempt to mislead Americans.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Democrats&rsquo; continued fearmongering on IVF is a disservice to all families who may pursue IVF treatments,&rdquo; Cassidy added.<\/p>\n<p>Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) pushed back on the idea that Tuesday&rsquo;s vote amounted to a political stunt, arguing the vote has even more relevance after last week&rsquo;s presidential debate in which Trump pitched himself as a &ldquo;leader&rdquo; on IVF.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Donald Trump says he now supports IVF, so we&rsquo;re bringing it up again to give them the opportunity to bring his party to the table and support it,&rdquo; Stabenow said. &ldquo;This is important for people. This is not a political game.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Senate Republicans have tried to offer alternate proposals related to IVF. Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) attempted to pass a bill to make the procedure more affordable through unanimous consent. Democrats objected and urged fellow senators to support the Democrats&rsquo; bill on Tuesday instead.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><\/a><\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Senate Republicans also<a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/3040704\/republican-ivf-bill-blocked-by-senate-democrats\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title> attempted in June to advance<\/a> a proposal of their own that would discourage states from banning IVF, but Senate Democrats blocked it. Earlier this year, Sens. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Sen. Katie Britt (R-AL) introduced a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cruz.senate.gov\/newsroom\/press-releases\/sens-cruz-britt-introduce-legislation-protecting-ivf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>bill <\/a>that sought to address concerns about IVF and would restrict states that prohibit access to IVF from eligibility for Medicaid funding. Democrats slammed that proposal, arguing the language leaves the door open to restrictions on the procedure in the future.<\/p>\n<p>House Democrats are following the Senate&rsquo;s lead <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/house\/3156601\/house-democrats-ivf-legislation\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>and introduced a set of four bills<\/a> on Tuesday that would protect access to IVF and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/in-expanding-veterans-medical-coverage-bidens-new-law-torpedoes-their-care\/\" title=\"In Expanding Veterans\u2019 Medical Coverage, Biden\u2019s New Law Torpedoes Their Care\">expand insurance coverage<\/a> for the procedure and other fertility services. It is unlikely that House GOP leaders will bring the legislation to a vote on the floor ahead of the November election.<\/p>\n<p><em>Hailey Bullis contributed to this report.<\/em><\/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_1762712\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1762712\"}});<\/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>The Senate Republicans once again prevented a Democratic-sponsored bill aimed at safeguarding access to in vitro fertilization (IVF) from advancing, marking the second time this legislation has been stalled. This move comes as part of a strategy to put pressure on the GOP regarding their stance on IVF ahead of the upcoming November elections. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) reintroduced the bill, seeking to challenge Republicans who have historically opposed IVF access but now face campaign commitments from former President Donald Trump, who has advocated for private insurance coverage of the procedure.<\/p>\n<p>The vote concluded with 51-44, primarily along party lines and falling short of the 60 votes needed to overcome a filibuster. Only Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) broke ranks with their party to support the Democrats.<\/p>\n<p>Schumer highlighted concerns about IVF becoming increasingly vulnerable due to ultra-conservative agendas, referencing recent developments in Alabama where legal rulings have threatened access. He criticized Republican lawmakers for claiming support for IVF while ultimately voting against it when it mattered.<\/p>\n<p>The Right to IVF Act was introduced by Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), who utilized IVF for her own children. The proposed legislation aims to enhance accessibility through insurance coverage and extend benefits for military members and veterans. This initiative follows an Alabama Supreme Court ruling that classified embryos used in IVF as children, raising fears about treatment availability.<\/p>\n<p>Duckworth expressed concern over how restrictive laws could impact individuals undergoing similar journeys today compared to her experience. Meanwhile, some Republicans are wary of Trump&#8217;s proposal due to potential financial implications on insurance costs.<\/p>\n<p>Republicans dismissed the Democratic-led effort as politically motivated fearmongering ahead of elections, asserting that there is no real threat against IVF access despite Democrats&#8217; claims otherwise.<\/p>\n<p>Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) countered accusations that Tuesday&#8217;s vote was merely a political maneuver by emphasizing its significance following Trump&#8217;s recent statements supporting IVF during a presidential debate.<\/p>\n<p>In response, Senate Republicans have attempted alternative proposals related to making IVF more affordable but faced opposition from Democrats advocating their own bill instead. House Democrats mirrored these efforts by introducing four bills aimed at protecting and expanding insurance coverage for fertility services; however, it&#8217;s unlikely these will be voted on before November due to resistance from House GOP leaders<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2657,"featured_media":2342428,"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\/Schumer-IVF-2024-scaled-1024x683.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[4606,32468,3740],"class_list":["post-2342427","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner","tag-healthcare","tag-ivf","tag-senate"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Schumer-IVF-2024-scaled-1024x683.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2342427","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\/2657"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2342427"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2342427\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2342428"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2342427"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2342427"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2342427"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}