Two Republican senators introduced a bill on Monday to safeguard access to in vitro fertilization (IVF), which aims to protect the rights that were previously challenged by Senate Democrats in February.
Senators Katie Britt of Alabama and Ted Cruz of Texas have jointly introduced a new bill on Monday, called the “IVF Protection Act.” This three-page bill aims to address certain concerns and issues related to in-vitro fertilization (IVF).
“This legislation is a common-sense affirmation of both life and liberty, as well as family and freedom,” Britt stated in a joint news release with Cruz. Cruz expressed his pride in partnering with Britt and acknowledged that IVF has brought miraculous hope to millions of Americans, granting families across the country the precious gift of children.”
States would lose their eligibility for Medicaid funding if they implement a complete ban on in vitro fertilization (IVF), according to the language of the bill. The bill states that states “shall not prohibit in vitro fertilization services” and “shall ensure that no unit of local government in the State prohibits such services,” as defined in section 4(b) of the IVF Protection Act.
Republicans have been facing challenges in uniting around a clear stance on abortion, especially following a ruling by Alabama’s Supreme Court in February. The court declared that frozen fertilized embryos are legally considered children in the state.
The IVF ruling in Alabama received widespread criticism and raised concerns among civil rights and medical organizations across the country. In response, the Republican-controlled legislature took swift action by passing an IVF protection bill, which was promptly signed into law by Governor Kay Ivey, a pro-life Republican.
The Britt-Cruz legislation is a continuation of the previous efforts made in February by Senator Tammy Duckworth, a Democrat from Illinois. Senator Duckworth had initially introduced a bill aimed at safeguarding IVF treatments across the country in response to the Alabama ruling. Unfortunately, Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith, a Republican from Mississippi, quickly put a stop to this bill.
During a television appearance on Monday, Cruz criticized Duckworth’s bill, arguing that it aimed to introduce broader abortion legislation through a backdoor approach. He emphasized that the bill he co-sponsored with Britt, on the other hand, was specifically intended to protect in vitro fertilization (IVF). Cruz highlighted a statistic mentioned in the bill, which states that 2% of live births in the United States occur through IVF.
Cruz argued that Duckworth’s IVF bill was too broad and lacked support from Republicans. He claimed that the bill aimed to grant the federal government authority over abortion, which is why it failed to garner any Republican support.
According to Cruz, the Alabama ruling caused a great deal of confusion, fear, and misunderstanding. He believes that the diverse range of opinions on abortion is evidence that it should be left up to individual states to decide. This aligns with former President Donald Trump’s stance on the issue, as he has also expressed his belief that abortion should be a state issue on multiple occasions.
According to the Texas Republican, the IVF bill should receive overwhelming bipartisan support, indicating his hope that senators from both parties will vote in favor of the bill alongside Britt.
In a social media post on Monday afternoon, Cruz accused Democrats and the media of exploiting the Alabama IVF ruling to criticize Republicans regarding IVF.
According to Cruz, all 100 senators are believed to support IVF, making it a bipartisan bill.
According to Democratic strategist Sawyer Hackett, the bill introduced by Cruz and Britt has two important points to consider. First, it fails to provide any protection for in vitro fertilization (IVF) from potential legal challenges related to ‘personhood’ laws, as seen in the recent ruling in Alabama. Second, the bill explicitly grants states the authority to impose ‘health and safety standards’ for IVF.
“I want to make it clear,” stated U.S. Representative Colin Allred, a Democrat from Texas and Ted Cruz’s 2024 opponent for the Senate, during an interview on X on Monday.
Ted Cruz’s unwavering advocacy for a radical abortion ban poses a significant threat to Texas families who rely on IVF.
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