Duckworth advocates for reproductive rights, IVF

WASHINGTON - Illinois Senator Tammy Duckworth is fighting for reproductive rights, speaking before the Judiciary Committee on Wednesday.

The hearing focused on the continued assault of reproductive freedoms in a post-Dobbs America.

The Supreme Court's ruling on the Dobbs case reversed Roe v. Wade, leaving it up to each state to regulate reproductive health.

Recently, the Alabama Supreme Court ruled an embryo created by IVF is legally a child, followed by its state legislature passing a law that makes IVF legal but leaves some questions unanswered, including whether an embryo is considered a child.

"No one, and I mean no one, better understands the hopes and dreams that viable embryos represent than an IVF patient struggling with infertility. No one better understands the pure, unmitigated joy that flows when a successful transfer of embryos results in pregnancy," Duckworth said.

Senator Duckworth has proposed legislation that would protect access for all families across the country to IVF and other assisted reproductive technology.

She introduced the Right to Build Families Act in 2022, but so far it's been blocked from a vote by Senate Republicans.