A pair of GOP senators introduced a bill on Monday to protect in vitro fertilization (IVF) at the federal level.
The goal of the “IVF Protection Act,” spearheaded by Sens. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Katie Britt (R-AL), is to discourage states from prohibiting access to IVF services.
If enacted, the legislation would amend the Social Security Act to require that states do not block IVF services as a condition to receive federal Medicaid funding.
“IVF has given miraculous hope to millions of Americans, and it has given families across the country the gift of children,” Cruz said in a statement.
Britt said the legislation “affirms both life and liberty — family and freedom, and I look forward to working with my colleagues to enact it into law.”
Senate Republicans previously blocked legislation from their Democrat colleagues that would have established a federal right to IVF treatments.
The AP reported many GOP lawmakers do not want the federal government to meddle with state-level decisions on reproductive care after Roe v. Wade was overturned.
Cruz and Britt stressed in press releases about their new bill that the legislation would not compel any person or organization to provide IVF services.
They also emphasized that the “IVF Protection Act” permits states to ensure appropriate “health and safety standards” for practicing the fertilization treatment.
Former President Donald Trump, who is running for another term in the White House in this year’s election, has voiced support for IVF as polls show it to be a major issue for voters.
In a video last month, Trump praised Alabama for passing a bill to protect IVF services after a state high court ruled frozen embryos should be recognized and protected as unborn children.
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“We want to make it easier for mothers and families to have babies, not harder,” Trump said. “That includes supporting the availability of fertility treatments like IVF in every state in America.”
Pro-life advocates had lauded the Alabama Supreme Court for the ruling that determined the state’s Wrongful Death of a Minor Act applied to frozen embryos.
“Each person, from the tiniest embryo to an elder nearing the end of his life, has incalculable value that deserves and is guaranteed legal protection,” Live Action President Lila Rose said.