Senate Republicans blocked The Right to IVF Act, which would secure access to in-vitro fertilization.
The bill was struck down in a 48-47 vote this June, as it needed 60 votes to pass the upper congressional chamber.
The Right to IVF Act was introduced by Democrats and sought to establish a nationwide right to in-vitro fertilization as well as making it more cost-affordable.
Two other bills to protect IVF rights were previously introduced and similarly struck down, being criticized as an “election season stunt” by Republicans, according to a report by CNN.
But the Republican party could get hurt at the ballot this November, as many pro-choice voters may be incentivized to vote Democrat in order to protect IVF and family planning services in the United States.
Additionally, the blocking of this bill affects both same-gender and opposite-gender couples, as IVF is frequently used in opposite-gender partnerships when one or both parties are suffering from fertility issues. It goes beyond being a same-gender parent issue and becomes a threat to opposite-gender families as well.
In March 2024, the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs announced that IVF coverage would be offered to LGBTQ+ and single U.S. Military veterans. This came after Alabama ruled that embryos created during IVF are legally children in February 2024, forcing many clinics to discontinue IVF services.
Other states such as Florida, Colorado, Louisiana, Utah, and New York have also introduced fetal personhood bills following Alabama’s ruling, according to a report by LGBTQ Nation.
A big worry among pro-choice activists is that the banning of IVF services could lead into further restrictions on abortion following the overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022 and eventual limitations on access to birth control and other reproductive services.
As tensions rise in the Senate leading up to the November 2024 general election, once again the rights of individuals with uteruses are the hot button issue–especially in red states where reproductive rights are already under heightened scrutiny by religious conservatives.
