Sen. Cruz Statement on Senate IVF Legislation and Vote
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) made the following statement after voting against Democrat legislation on fertility issues, including IVF:
“Today, Democrats staged a show vote in an effort to fearmonger over IVF. Let’s be clear: No one is trying to ban IVF. Not one senator. I voted against this legislation because it goes far beyond IVF. It is designed to be a backdoor to federalize abortion and other issues that are best debated and considered on their own merits, not hidden in a bill that purportedly addresses IVF. Alarmingly, it also actively exempts itself from Religious Freedom Restoration Act conscience protections.
“So instead of trying to push a radical agenda, Chuck Schumer should have brought up simple pro-IVF legislation that we could all support. I’ve authored legislation to do just that. Last month, Sen. Katie Britt and I together introduced legislation that would fully protect IVF at the federal level.
“This would bring much needed peace of mind to couples who are hoping to start a new family using this wonderful technology. The Cruz-Britt legislation would provide IVF an iron-clad protection in federal law. It expressly prohibits any state or any local government from banning IVF.
"And yesterday, we could have passed that legislation, but the Democrats objected. Everyone should understand that the only reason we do not currently have a strong protection of IVF in federal law is because Senate Democrats blocked it. Democrats cynically decided they would rather have a political issue to scare the voters with instead of actually passing legislation to make certain that IVF is fully protected.
“IVF is profoundly pro-family. Some 2% of live births in the U.S. result from IVF, representing tens of thousands of families fulfilling dreams of parenthood. Misconceptions and fear-mongering around the legal standing of IVF do a disservice to families facing infertility. Our bill would honor and support families seeking to welcome a new baby into their lives through IVF.
“On the simple question of whether we should protect IVF, we all agree. Today was an opportunity to unite around that. Instead, Democrats led by Chuck Schumer played politics. It was a tragic waste.”
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