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Senate votes against Right to IVF Act for second time this year

By FOX 32 News
Updated  September 17, 2024 4:25pm CDT
Tammy Duckworth
FOX 32 Chicago

Senate rejects Right to IVF Act for the second time this year

The U.S. Senate rejected a bill aimed at establishing a nationwide right to in vitro fertilization (IVF).

The Brief

    • The U.S. Senate voted down the Right to IVF Act for the second time this year, a bill that would mandate health insurance coverage for in vitro fertilization (IVF) and establish a national right to access IVF and other assisted reproductive technologies.
    • The bill, introduced by Illinois Democrat Tammy Duckworth, faced opposition from Senate Republicans, many of whom argue that IVF access is not restricted in any state, calling the vote a political stunt.
    • The legislation gained urgency after an Alabama Supreme Court ruling temporarily disrupted IVF access by classifying embryos as children, but it has yet to gain sufficient bipartisan support in the Senate.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - The U.S. Senate voted against legislation that would establish a nationwide right to in vitro fertilization (IVF).

This is the second time this year that the Senate has voted against the Right to IVF Act, which would require health insurers to cover IVF and establish a nationwide right for parents to access IVF and other assisted reproductive technology.

In June, Senate Republicans blocked the measure, which was introduced, in part, by Illinois Democrat Tammy Duckworth. 

The push comes after former President Donald Trump promised that the federal government would cover IVF if he is re-elected.

There were efforts to accelerate the bill over the summer after an Alabama Supreme Court ruled that embryos are children, which temporarily upended IVF access in the state. 

Republicans who support IVF say it is not currently illegal to access it in any state and called the vote a political stunt. 

After lawmakers voted against the measure, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin released the following statement:

"Whether, when, and how to expand one’s family is a private, personal matter.  Every American should be able to access the care and resources they need to start a family however they choose.  Yet, when the Senate last considered this bill in June, only two Senate Republicans voted to consider the bill.  Today is no different.  The fact that such a simple, yet fundamental, matter is up for debate in 2024 is astonishing.  It’s alarming that my Republican colleagues would choose to filibuster such legislation and is proof positive that Democrats are the party of family values."

Additionally, Vice President Kamala Harris released the following statement: 

"We stand with the majority of Americans – Republicans and Democrats alike – who support protecting access to fertility treatments. And we continue to call on Congress to finally pass a bill that restores reproductive freedom."

The Source

  • FOX 32 Chicago spoke with both Senate Republicans and Democrats to gather insights and perspectives on the Right to IVF Act.