Kaine Statement After Senate Republicans Block Right to IVF Act

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, released the following statement after Senate Republicans blocked the Right to IVF Act, legislation he introduced to protect and expand access to in-vitro fertilization (IVF) and other assisted reproductive technology (ART) services nationwide:

“The first IVF baby in America, Elizabeth Carr, was born in Norfolk, Virginia in 1981. Since her birth, millions of Americans have relied on IVF and other assisted reproductive technology services to start or grow their families. Sadly, IVF has come under attack since the Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, and in February, the Alabama Supreme Court issued a ruling that paused IVF in the state. That’s why I was proud to introduce and vote for the Right to IVF Act to protect Americans’ freedom to decide whether, when, and how to start or build their families. This legislation would have also made IVF and other ART services more affordable for many families, including our nation’s servicemembers and veterans. While I’m disappointed that my colleagues again chose partisan obstruction over Americans’ right to make medical decisions without government interference, I remain committed to doing everything I can to protect reproductive freedom.”

The Right to IVF Act includes provisions from two bills Kaine cosponsored: the Access to Family Building Act and Veteran Families Health Services Act. The Access to Family Building Act would establish a statutory right for individuals to access, providers to provide, and insurers to cover IVF and ART services. The Veteran Families Health Services Act would enhance fertility treatment and counseling options for veterans and servicemembers and expand a servicemember’s access to fertility services before deployment to a combat zone or hazardous duty assignment and after an injury or illness.

Kaine has long championed efforts to protect reproductive freedom and IVF. This week, Kaine wrote an op-ed in the Virginian-Pilot urging Congress to pass the Right to IVF Act. In April, Kaine urged the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to require health insurance coverage of IVF medical treatments and medications for federal employees. In March, Kaine invited Elizabeth Carr to join him as his guest at the State of the Union to shine a light on the need to protect access to IVF. Kaine also held two roundtables in Norfolk and Arlington to discuss the need to protect IVF. After the Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade, Kaine worked across the aisle to introduce the Reproductive Freedom For All Act, a bipartisan bill to protect access to abortion and contraception.

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