Why Senate Republicans tanked bill securing IVF access nationwide AGAIN despite Trump plan

A second attempt by Democrats to pass legislation protecting access to in vitro fertilization (IVF) and other fertility treatments was blocked by Republicans in the Senate.

The vote came as lawmakers put the battle over reproductive access front and center 49 days before the upcoming general election.

Senate Democrats, led by Chuck Schumer, forced a new vote on the Right to IVF Act on Tuesday after Republicans blocked an initial attempt to pass the legislation in June.

The bill needed a 60-vote threshold to pass, but it was defeated by a vote of 51-44. All senators who are Democratic caucuses voted in favor of the legislation.

Ahead of the vote, Republicans criticized Democrats’ effort to pass a bill that would protect and expand access to fertility treatments nationwide.

Former President Trump called on Alabama to find a solution after the ruling, saying he supports the availability of IVF treatments. Democrats say the AL ruling is the direct result of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v Wade with the addition of three justices he appointed

“Here we go again with more time-wasting show votes designed to support vulnerable Democrats ahead of the election,” said GOP Sen. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith of Mississippi in a statement ahead of the procedural vote.

Smith, chair of the Pro-Life Caucus, said she supports IVF but called the legislation flawed and criticized the vote, saying: “A better use of time might be to consider really important legislation, such as budget bills or the National Defense Authorization Act.’

Democrats have renewed their efforts to get the legislation passed, as the issue was a major focus during the campaign. They have long advocated for the reinstatement of Roe v. Wade and the protection of IVF.

Trump announced a few weeks ago that he wants the government to pay all the costs of IVF treatments or ensure that they are covered by insurance, indicating that Republicans are vulnerable on this issue.

“President Trump has said he wants to make it easier for mothers and fathers to have children. That includes supporting IVF in every state,” his campaign said.

It’s a more progressive take on IVF, one that has some Republicans divided in the run-up to the election.

Senators Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Katie Britt (R-Alabama) have their own version of a bill to provide IVF and fertility services, but Democrats say it doesn’t go far enough.

Britt and Cruz attempted to reintroduce their own bill, arguing that it was only a bill that could protect access to IVF “while ensuring religious freedom,” but the bill was again blocked.

After Republicans defeated the Democrats’ last-ditch attempt to pass a Senate bill, Democrats seized on the opportunity to criticize their Republican colleagues.

The battle over IVF protection erupted earlier this year after the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that embryos are children.

The decision sparked outrage across the country — from Republicans and Democrats alike — and left thousands of families trying to have children through IVF in limbo.

A month later, Alabama’s Republican Governor Kay Ivey signed a bill protecting access to IVF after the outcry.

In June, lawmakers held a similar vote just hours after the Supreme Court upheld access to the abortion pill mifepristone and dismissed a lawsuit that would have affected abortion access nationwide.

Embryo selection for IVF shown under a light microscope – the treatment is overwhelmingly popular with Americans

It was the conservative court’s first major decision on reproductive rights since it overturned Roe v. Wade, ending the constitutional right to abortion nationwide in 2022.

Mifepristone is used in more than half of abortions in the United States and has been used by more than 5.6 million women since its approval in 2000.

The National Republican Senatorial Committee previously told DailyMail.com that none of their candidates support a ban on IVF.

Chairman Mike Johnson (Republican from Louisiana) has also indicated that he supports IVF treatment.

But last year, he joined 124 other Republicans in the House of Representatives to sponsor the Life Begins at Conception bill.

There is no exception for IVF treatments, but it does say that nothing in the bill “shall be construed as authorising the prosecution of a woman for the death of her unborn child.”