U.S. Sen. of Texas is leading a charge to protect access to in vitro fertilization as conservative states scramble to figure out where IVF fits in the new anti-abortion legal landscape.
On Monday, Cruz and Sen. Katie Britt of Alabama, both conservative, anti-abortion Republicans, filed the IVF Protection Act, which would make states ineligible to receive Medicaid funding if they ban IVF.
This bill comes in response to a from the Alabama Supreme Court earlier this year that said embryos are protected human life when it comes to the state鈥檚 wrongful death statute. After that ruling, many IVF providers paused those services until the Alabama Legislature .
The Texas Supreme Court is that could 鈥渦pend IVF in Texas,鈥� experts say. A woman has asked the court to overturn previous court rulings that awarded her ex-husband their three frozen embryos in their divorce, arguing that Texas鈥� new abortion laws require embryos to have the same rights as living children.
Almost as soon as the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in summer 2022 and allowed states to ban abortion, questions emerged about the legal status of IVF.
In a Wall Street Journal op-ed announcing this legislation, Cruz and Britt said Republicans want to 鈥減rotect both life and IVF.鈥�
鈥淚VF has given miraculous hope to millions of Americans, and it has given families across the country the gift of children,鈥� Cruz said in a statement. 鈥淚鈥檓 proud to partner with Sen. Katie Britt to ensure that couples in Texas and across the country have the opportunity to be loving parents, by ensuring that IVF is fully protected at the federal level.鈥�
IVF is 鈥減rofoundly pro-family,鈥� the pair wrote in the op-ed. 鈥淥ur bill will honor and support families seeking to welcome a new baby into their lives through IVF.鈥�
Cruz is up for reelection this year, facing Democratic Congressman Colin Allred, who has made Cruz鈥檚 support for Texas鈥� abortion laws a key part of his campaign.
鈥淟et鈥檚 be clear, Ted Cruz鈥檚 long-standing support for an extreme ban on abortion which is now threatening IVF is why we are here,鈥� Allred said in a statement Monday. 鈥淐ruz brags about his long record of working to take away reproductive freedom, including supporting extreme personhood legislation and opposing exceptions for rape, incest and unviable pregnancies.鈥�
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has for IVF, saying he believes the Legislature will clarify state law to protect the procedure.
Meanwhile, in D.C., Senate Democrats have tried unsuccessfully to pass two bills to protect IVF access, and House Speaker Mike Johnson he believes this is an issue best left to the states.
Pointing out that 86% of Americans believe IVF should be legal, Cruz and Britt say this should be a bipartisan bill that protects 鈥渓ife, family and personal liberty.鈥�
This article originally appeared in at .
