Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) on Sunday went after her Republican colleagues, claiming their words defending in vitro fertilization (IVF) are hollow following last week’s Alabama Supreme Court ruling. .
The ruling handed down on Monday classifies the fertilized embryos as children, meaning failed IVF treatments could lead to criminal charges against hospitals and doctors. Following this decision, several major hospitals in Alabama stopped offering in vitro fertilization.
Duckworth supports his bill to establish federal protections for IVF treatment, even though the Republican Senate campaign arm called on candidates to reject attempts to regulate access to IVF treatment He said there is not a single Republican senator who would do so.
“Ever since the Alabama decision, it’s all about cricket,” Duckworth told Martha Raddatz in an interview on ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday.
Duckworth herself used IVF to give birth to her two daughters, now ages 9 and 5. She condemned Sunday’s Alabama ruling.
“I’m shocked for all the families who are starting families, but I wasn’t surprised at all,” she said. “Republicans have prioritized the rights of embryos over women’s rights. And I don’t think the American people would agree with that.”
The senator also attacked the Republican campaign’s statement, saying it only represents the party’s true beliefs.
“Let’s be clear: Republicans will say whatever they want to try to sweep this issue under the rug, but they are clear that this effort to eliminate women’s reproductive rights and reproductive choice will Donald Trump is in charge.”
President Biden condemned the court’s decision last week, calling it “outrageous and unacceptable.”
“Today in 2024, women in the United States are being kept away from emergency rooms and forced to travel hundreds of miles for medical care, while doctors are being prosecuted for providing abortions,” Biden said in a statement. I’m afraid of being hurt,” he said. “And now, an Alabama court is jeopardizing access to fertility treatment for some families who desperately want to conceive. Women’s ability to make these decisions for themselves and their families. To ignore this is outrageous and unacceptable.
“Make no mistake about it, this is a direct result of Roe v. Wade’s Ace Attorney,” Biden added.
Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
