Senate Republicans Block IVF Protections Bill Amid Reproductive Rights Clash

Senate Republicans blocked a Democratic-led bill to establish federal protections for in vitro fertilization (IVF), intensifying the partisan fight over reproductive rights. The vote was 48-47, with only Republicans Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine supporting the bill. GOP senators argued it was too broad, favoring a narrower version that Democrats called ineffective.

President Joe Biden criticized the opposition, saying, “Donald Trump’s MAGA Republican allies voted against protecting access to fertility treatments for women who are desperately trying to get pregnant.”

The Right To IVF Act, introduced by Senators Patty Murray, D-Wash., Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., and Cory Booker, D-N.J., aimed to federally guarantee access to IVF services and insurance coverage, overriding state restrictions.

Republicans, concerned that IVF could be restricted by laws treating discarded embryos as murder, proposed a narrower bill to cut Medicaid funding for states banning IVF. All 49 GOP senators endorsed this alternative, accusing Democrats of fearmongering.

Senator Murray dismissed the GOP’s stance, highlighting that their bill had significant loopholes and did not address the issue of unused embryos or fetal personhood laws. She stressed that the next election is crucial for protecting reproductive rights.