Republican senators have blocked a Democratic bill that would require public and private insurance to provide coverage for IVF.
On Tuesday, Senate Republicans blocked passage of the Right to IVF Act — a Democratic effort that would protect access to IVF treatments at the federal level and require public and most private insurers to cover the costs of IVF and fertility care.
This is the second time the Republican Senate has evaded the widely popular legislation, with Republicans arguing that the effort is unnecessary and an attempt to boost Vice President Kamala Harris in her presidential campaign as she highlights family access to IVF.
During last week’s presidential debate, Republican nominee Donald Trump insisted he was a “pioneer on IVF.” Yet throughout his campaign, Trump has been talking up reproductive rights in an attempt to win over moderate Republicans and religious conservatives—a fact that was painfully clear during his first debate against Harris and sparked a backlash from within his own party.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), who forced Tuesday’s vote, urged his Republican counterparts to take a tough stance on the issue. “This is what we’re asking our Republican friends: Do you support access to IVF for American families or not?” Schumer said at a news conference.
Senate Minority Leader John Thune called the measure “another show vote,” and said, “Republicans support IVF, period.”
Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) was absent from Tuesday’s Senate vote to protect access to IVF. Asked to comment on the blocked legislation, Vance dismissed it as a “show bill with no prospect of success.”
Following the news, Harris issued a statement saying, “Senate Republicans have blocked a bill to protect access to IVF services nationwide. They have made it clear — once again — that they will not protect access to the fertility treatments that so many couples need to fulfill their dream of having a child.”
