{"id":2343148,"date":"2024-09-18T20:57:01","date_gmt":"2024-09-19T00:57:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/whats-the-difference-between-the-ivf-bills-senate-democrats-and-republicans-keep-fighting-about-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-09-18T21:00:05","modified_gmt":"2024-09-19T01:00:05","slug":"whats-the-difference-between-the-ivf-bills-senate-democrats-and-republicans-keep-fighting-about-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/whats-the-difference-between-the-ivf-bills-senate-democrats-and-republicans-keep-fighting-about-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"What\u2019s the difference between the IVF bills Senate Democrats and Republicans keep fighting about? &#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\">34<\/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%2Fwhats-the-difference-between-the-ivf-bills-senate-democrats-and-republicans-keep-fighting-about-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=2343148&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 article\u200c discusses \u2062the ongoing conflict in the U.S. Senate regarding two competing bills on in vitro fertilization (IVF) access,\u200d one sponsored by Democrats and the\u200d other \u200bby \u200dRepublicans. Senator Tammy Duckworth&#8217;s &#8220;Right to IVF Act&#8221; aims to establish a statutory right to IVF and other <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/china-announces-major-investment-in-ivf-to-reverse-birth-rate-collapse\/\" title=\"China Announces Major Investment in IVF to Reverse Birth Rate Collapse\">assisted reproductive technologies<\/a>, preempting \u200dstate laws.\u200d However, Republicans blocked this legislation, arguing \u200bit could undermine\u200b legal and ethical regulations in\u200c the IVF\u2062 industry and threaten religious liberties by potentially\u200c forcing religious organizations to provide IVF \u200dcoverage.<\/p>\n<p>On the \u2062same day, Senate Democrats rejected \u200bthe Republican&#8217;s &#8220;IVF Protection Act,&#8221; which claims to protect IVF access while \u200censuring the preservation of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/there-is-nothing-equal-about-the-equality-act\/\" title=\"There Is Nothing \u2018Equal\u2019 About The \u2018Equality Act\u2019\">religious rights<\/a>. The tension\u2062 highlights differing perspectives on fertility treatments, with Democrats \u2064accusing Republicans of jeopardizing IVF services \u200ccrucial for many families, while \u200bRepublicans contend that Duckworth&#8217;s bill\u200c infringes on religious freedoms. The article concludes with statements from \u2063both sides expressing their deep frustrations and concerns over the implications \u200cof these legislative battles.  <\/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\">What&rsquo;s the difference between the IVF bills Senate Democrats and Republicans keep fighting about?<\/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_1762926\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>For the second time in about three months, Republican and Democratic senators sparred over a set of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/ivf\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>in vitro fertilization<\/a> bills in the nation&rsquo;s capital.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>Republicans <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/3156915\/ivf-access-bill-fails-senate\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>blocked<\/a> Sen. Tammy Duckworth&rsquo;s (D-IL) <a href=\"https:\/\/www.congress.gov\/bill\/118th-congress\/senate-bill\/4445\/text\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Right to IVF Act<\/a> on the same day Democrats blocked a GOP bill titled the IVF Protection Act.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Both bills claim to protect access to fertility treatment for women struggling to have children. So why can neither seem to pass?<\/p>\n<p>Duckworth&rsquo;s IVF legislation <a href=\"https:\/\/www.duckworth.senate.gov\/news\/press-releases\/duckworth-murray-booker-unveil-sweeping-legislative-package-to-establish-a-nationwide-right-to-ivf-and-lower-ivf-costs-for-families\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>comprises<\/a> several bills, including the Access to Family Building Act. It would make IVF and other assisted reproductive technologies a statutory right, preempting state laws and practices regarding the matter.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Conservatives are <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/tperkins\/status\/1762884707061006766\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>fearful<\/a> that her legislation would remove legal and ethical regulations that oversee the IVF industry and reproductive technologies. They <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/3033508\/the-ivf-battle-how-senate-republicans-are-navigating-the-political-minefield\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>argue<\/a> Duckworth&rsquo;s framework would legalize embryo cloning, gene editing, and &ldquo;designer babies.&rdquo;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Duckworth speaks during the Democratic National Convention on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo\/J. Scott Applewhite)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Senate Republicans, including Sens. Katie Britt (R-AL), J.D. Vance (R-OH), and Ted Cruz (R-TX), are also worried that the Illinois Democrat&rsquo;s legislation erodes <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/supreme-court-calls-new-yorks-covid-19-restrictions-discriminatory-sides-with-religious-leaders\/\" title=\"Supreme Court Calls New York\u2019s COVID-19 Restrictions \u2018Discriminatory,\u2019 Sides With Religious Leaders\">religious liberty<\/a> under the guise of expanding IVF protections.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>During a campaign appearance in Wisconsin, Vance insisted that his Democratic colleague&rsquo;s legislation was &ldquo;a huge infringement on religious liberty.&rdquo;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I would protect people&rsquo;s access to fertility treatments,&rdquo; Vance said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;d also like to protect Christian hospitals&rsquo; right to conduct their hospitals as they see fit.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Cruz echoed a similar sentiment during remarks on the Senate floor Tuesday as he called it an &ldquo;anti-religious liberty bill.&rdquo;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Duckworth&rsquo;s bill exempts itself from the bipartisan Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993, which was introduced by&nbsp;Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), who now serves as the Senate majority leader.&nbsp; Conservatives have warned that if enacted,&nbsp;the Right to IVF Act would force churches or anti-abortion clinics to provide IVF health insurance coverage or access to reproductive technology.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>When Republicans voted on Tuesday largely along party lines to kill the bill, Democrats blasted their decision.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;All I was asking of them was simply to support a bill that could&rsquo;ve represented millions of women&rsquo;s only chance of starting families,&rdquo; Duckworth said. &ldquo;On behalf of every woman who has faced the heart-shattering struggle of infertility, all I can say to my Republican colleagues this afternoon is: Shame. On. You.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Top Democrats also suggested the other side of the aisle wanted to eliminate IVF treatments.&nbsp;&ldquo;If Republicans get their way, the IVF services that so many families depend on are very much at risk,&rdquo; Schumer said.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The same day, Senate Democrats blocked&nbsp;Britt and Cruz&rsquo;s IVF legislation. The Republicans call the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.britt.senate.gov\/news\/press-releases\/u-s-senators-katie-britt-ted-cruz-introduce-ivf-protection-act\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>IVF Protection Act<\/a> &ldquo;the only bill that protects IVF access while safeguarding religious liberty.&rdquo; <\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Britt hugs her husband, Wesley Britt, as she speaks to supporters on Tuesday, June 21, 2022, in Montgomery, Alabama. (AP Photo\/Butch Dill)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Their legislation would strip federal Medicaid funding from states that prohibit IVF services. Unlike Duckworth&rsquo;s bill, it permits individual states to continue implementing existing health and safety standards regarding the practice of IVF.<\/p>\n<p>Democrats are highly skeptical of the legislation.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I have been perfectly clear about the glaring issue with this Republican bill,&rdquo; Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) said. &ldquo;The cold, hard reality is this Republican bill does nothing to meaningfully protect IVF from the biggest threats from lawmakers and anti-abortion extremists all over this country. It would still allow states to regulate IVF out of existence.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title><strong><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Tuesday marked the second time in about three months that Democrats voted down the Britt-Cruz legislation and Republicans blocked Duckworth&rsquo;s bill.&nbsp;The first<a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/3042688\/senate-gop-defeats-democrat-ivf-bill\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title> attempt to pass<\/a> both bills came in June.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Same song, second verse,&rdquo; Sen. James Lankford (R-OK) commented on Tuesday.&nbsp;<\/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_1762926\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1762926\"}});<\/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>What distinguishes the IVF bills that Senate Democrats and Republicans are continually debating? For the second time in roughly three months, senators from both parties clashed over a series of in vitro fertilization (IVF) bills in Washington, D.C. On the same day that Republicans halted Sen. Tammy Duckworth\u2019s (D-IL) Right to IVF Act, Democrats blocked a Republican proposal known as the IVF Protection Act. Both pieces of legislation aim to safeguard access to fertility treatments for women facing challenges in conceiving. So why are they unable to pass? Duckworth&#8217;s IVF bill includes multiple components, such as the Access to Family Building Act, which would establish IVF and other assisted reproductive technologies as a legal right, overriding state laws and practices on this issue. Conservatives fear that her proposal could eliminate legal and ethical regulations governing the IVF sector and reproductive technologies, arguing it might lead to legalized embryo cloning, gene editing, and &#8220;designer babies.&#8221; <\/p>\n<p>Senate Republicans like Katie Britt (R-AL), J.D. Vance (R-OH), and Ted Cruz (R-TX) also express concerns that Duckworth&#8217;s legislation undermines religious freedom while ostensibly expanding protections for IVF. During a campaign event in Wisconsin, Vance claimed his Democratic counterpart\u2019s bill represents \u201ca significant infringement on religious liberty,\u201d stating he supports access to fertility treatments but also wants Christian hospitals&#8217; rights respected regarding their operations. Cruz echoed this sentiment during Senate discussions by labeling it an \u201canti-religious liberty bill.\u201d Notably, Duckworth&#8217;s legislation exempts itself from the bipartisan Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993\u2014introduced by Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), now Senate majority leader\u2014which has led conservatives to warn that its passage could compel churches or anti-abortion clinics to provide insurance coverage for IVF or access reproductive technology.<\/p>\n<p>When Republicans voted largely along party lines against Duckworth\u2019s bill on Tuesday, Democrats criticized their decision harshly. \u201cAll I was asking was for them to support a bill representing millions of women\u2019s only chance at starting families,\u201d said Duckworth angrily addressing her Republican colleagues: \u201cShame on you.\u201d Leading Democrats suggested their counterparts aimed at eliminating access to IVF treatments altogether; Schumer remarked that if Republicans succeeded with their agenda, many families relying on these services would be at risk.<\/p>\n<p>On the same day of these events, Senate Democrats blocked Britt and Cruz&#8217;s proposed legislation\u2014their version called the IVF Protection Act claims it is &#8220;the only bill&#8221; ensuring both access to IVF while protecting religious liberties. This Republican measure seeks to cut federal Medicaid funding from states banning IVFs but allows states discretion over existing health standards related to these procedures\u2014a point met with skepticism from Democrats like Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA). She stated clearly: \u201cThe stark reality is this Republican bill does nothing substantial against threats posed by lawmakers or anti-abortion extremists nationwide; it still permits states potentially regulating away IVFs.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>This marked yet another instance within three months where both parties failed again\u2014Democrats rejected Britt-Cruz&#8217;s proposal while Republicans blocked Duckworth\u2019s initiative; similar attempts were made back in June with little change noted since then according Senator James Lankford (R-OK): &#8220;Same song; second verse.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3142,"featured_media":2343149,"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\/KB.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[37167,32468,3756,33619],"class_list":["post-2343148","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-healthcare-policy","tag-ivf","tag-republicans","tag-senate-democrats"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/KB.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2343148","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=2343148"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2343148\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2343149"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2343148"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2343148"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2343148"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}