GOP Senators blocked a Democratic bill that would require public and private insurance to provide IVF coverage
On Tuesday, Senate Republicans blocked passage of the Right to IVF Act — a bid by Democrats that would federally protect access to in vitro fertilization treatments and mandate public and most private insurance companies to cover IVF and fertility care.
This is the second time the GOP Senate has dodged the widely popular legislation, with Republicans claiming the bid is unnecessary and an effort to boost Vice President Kamala Harris on the presidential campaign trail as she highlights family access to IVF.
During last week’s presidential debate, Republican nominee Donald Trump insisted that he was “a leader on IVF, which is fertilization.” However, throughout his campaign, Trump has waffled on reproductive rights in an attempt to win over both moderate Republicans and religious conservatives — a fact that was painfully clear during his first debate against Harris and has drawn backlash from within his own party.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), who forced the vote Tuesday, called on his GOP counterparts to take a hard stance on the issue. “Here’s what we’re asking our Republican friends,” Schumer said at a press conference. “Do you support American families’ access to in vitro fertilization or not?”
Senate Minority Whip John Thune (R-S.D.) called the measure “another show vote” and stated that “Republicans support IVF, full stop.”
Trump’s own running mate, Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) skipped out on Tuesday’s Senate vote to protect access to IVF. When asked to comment on the blocked legislation, Vance dismissed the bid as a “show vote bill that had no chance of passing.”
Following the news, Harris released a statement: “Senate Republicans just blocked a bill to protect access to IVF nationwide. They made clear — again — that they will not protect access to the fertility treatments many couples need to fulfill their dream of having a child.”
