Senate Democrats will once again attempt to advance legislation aimed at protecting access to in vitro fertilization (IVF) on Tuesday, but the bill will almost certainly fall short of the votes it needs to advance at the hands of Republicans.
Illinois Democrat Tammy Duckworth’s Right to IVF Act failed to get the 60 votes it needed to advance during a vote in June.
But as reproductive rights continue to be a flashpoint in the upcoming election, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is daring Republicans to again block the bill.
“If the Senate votes no today and strikes IVF protections down yet again, it will be further proof that Project 2025 is alive and well,” Schumer said on the Senate floor on Tuesday.
The vote comes after Trump on the campaign trail has reaffirmed his support for IVF.
In response, Schumer said he’d again bring the bill to the floor for a vote to give Republicans another chance to support it.
It establishes a nationwide right for access to IVF, expands fertility treatments for veterans, and seeks to increase affordability for fertility care.
Efforts to advance this bill accelerated over the summer after an Alabama Supreme Court ruling that embryos are children, which temporarily upended IVF access in the state.
Republicans on Monday attempted to flip the script by trying to pass pro-IVF legislation of their own and forcing Democrats to block it.
Katie Britt and Ted Cruz, would make states ineligible to receive Medicaid funding if they banned access to IVF.
Tuesday will see another attempt by Senate Democrats to move legislation protecting access to in vitro fertilization (IVF), but it is highly likely that Republicans will not give the bill the necessary number of votes to move it forward.
During a June vote, Illinois Democrat Tammy Duckworth’s Right to IVF Act fell short of receiving the 60 votes required to pass. But Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is daring Republicans to obstruct the bill once more, given that reproductive rights will undoubtedly be a hot topic in the next election.
During Tuesday’s Senate floor session, Schumer stated, “It will be further proof that Project 2025 is alive and well if the Senate votes no today and strikes down IVF protections yet again.”. “Keep in mind that the Heritage Foundation, one of the most significant and radical conservative think tanks in the nation, is connected to Donald Trump’s Project 2025. Earlier this year, the Foundation vehemently opposed the bill protecting IVF that was passed today. “. .
The vote follows Trump’s campaign trail reaffirmation of his support for in vitro fertilization.
In August, Trump said at a town hall that he and his team had been looking into ways to support people who wanted in vitro fertilization.
“After careful consideration, I’ve decided that for those utilizing in vitro fertilization (IVF), the government will cover the costs, or alternatively, we’ll require your insurance company to cover the costs, which I think will be fantastic. At that time, Trump declared, “We’re going to do that.”.
And then, in his September… In their 10 debate with Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump claimed to have “been a leader on IVF.”. ****.
In response, Schumer declared that he would bring the bill back to the floor for a vote in order to give Republicans one more opportunity to support it. To move forward, it would require 60 votes.
Schumer wrote a letter to his colleagues on Sunday, stating, “We have seen the Republican Party’s nominee for president claim to be “a leader in fertilization” and come out in favor of expanding access to IVF by requiring insurance companies to cover IVF treatment—a key provision included in the Right to IVF Act.”. We shall thus afford our Republican colleagues one more opportunity to present their positions to the American people. “. .
Schumer said, “So to my Republican colleagues today, you get a second chance to either stand with families who are struggling with infertility or stand with Project 2025, which aims to eradicate reproductive freedoms.”.
The Right to IVF Act is a package of multiple Democratic bills. It expands fertility treatments available to veterans, creates a national right of access to IVF, and aims to bring down the cost of fertility care.
The Alabama Supreme Court’s decision that embryos are children, which momentarily disrupted the state’s access to IVF, spurred efforts to move this bill forward during the summer.
Republicans, however, who claim to be in favor of IVF and point out that access to it is not currently prohibited in any state, blocked the bill in June, denouncing the vote as a political ploy and believing the legislation to be an overreach.
It is anticipated that they will follow suit in the procedural vote on Tuesday.
By attempting to enact pro-IVF legislation of their own and pressuring Democrats to obstruct it, Republicans on Monday sought to reverse the narrative.
Mr. Republican from Florida, Rick Scott. urged the Senate to approve his bill with a unanimous vote. The bill would double the contribution caps on Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) to enable families to save for medical expenses such as IVF and separate HSAs from high-deductible health plans.
Sen. obstructed that measure. Oregon Senator Ron Wyden, D. who were against it, arguing that the law would not help families who were having financial difficulties paying for IVF.
Other IVF bills sponsored by Republicans have also been submitted to the Senate. Before the week is out, Republicans might try to pass those by unanimous consent.
A bill like that, sponsored by Sens. According to Katie Britt and Ted Cruz, states that outlaw access to IVF would no longer be eligible for Medicaid funding. Republicans said it has too many loopholes, so they blocked its passage in May.
