Democrats wants additional federal protections for IVF
9:04 AM EST, February 28, 2024
Illinois Democratic Senator Tammy Duckworth is calling for a vote on a bill providing federal protection for in vitro fertilization and other fertility treatments.
On Wednesday, Democrats plan to expedite a bill through the U.S. Senate to ensure Americans have access to in vitro fertilization and other forms of assisted reproductive technology, following a decision by an Alabama court to classify frozen embryos as children.
Duckworth pointed out that when she tried to get pregnant some embryos, as she put it, were not viable and were discarded. The senator pointed out that this is what could now bring doctors into legal trouble.
"My daughters are everything to me. I probably would never have been able to have them if I didn't have access to the basic reproductive rights that Americans have relied on for decades until recently," - Duckworth said.
Some hospitals and doctors in Alabama have halted in vitro fertilization procedures because of a ruling by that state's Supreme Court.
According to Nebraska Examiner, last week, Donald Trump, the leading candidate for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024, urged Alabama legislators to address the state Supreme Court's ruling. Meanwhile, Republicans at the national level, including candidates in critical U.S. Senate races, attempted to dissociate themselves from the decision.
Source: Reuters, Nebraska Examiner
