ARIZONA -- U.S. Senate Republicans blocked a bill to protect IVF and Arizona Republic Opinion’s EJ Montini pointed out that Kari Lake “doesn’t believe Congress should get involved” in protecting IVF.

Kari Lake’s dangerous and extreme agenda includes stripping Arizonans of their reproductive rights, banning abortions without exceptions for rape or incest, calling on sheriffs to enforce the 1864 ban, banning medication abortions, and saying “life begins at conception” which further jeopardizes access to IVF.  

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Arizona Republic Opinion: Senate IVF ‘Show Vote’ Says A Lot About Ruben Gallego and Kari Lake

By: EJ Montini

September 18, 2024

Key Points:

• Democrats in the U.S. Senate this week brought back a bill to guarantee nationwide access to in vitro fertilization. It was blocked by Republicans, which everyone knew would happen, since Republicans blocked the same bill earlier in the summer…

• Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer said after the vote, “Three months ago, nearly every Senate Republican voted against protecting IVF in this chamber. It was astounding to watch them with a straight face … claim that of course they cared about supporting families, of course they supported IVF. Just not enough to actually vote to protect it.”

• It’s true.

• Just about all of the Republicans in the Senate say they support IVF. But they refuse to protect fertility care by way of federal law…

• The vote was called to draw attention to a health care issue important to millions of American couples looking to start a family, and to differentiate between those who claim to support IVF and those who actually do.

• It also provided an opportunity for Arizonans to see how our next U.S. senator would vote on such a bill if and when it comes up again after the election…

• The beneficial thing about the “show bill” voted on in Washington is that it affords us a chance to learn what the candidates vying to fill the seat being vacated by Sen. Kyrsten Sinema say about ensuring access to IVF by way of federal law.

• Democrat Ruben Gallego has stated numerous times and put in writing his support for legislation that guarantees a legal right to contraception and fertility care.

• Republican Kari Lake, on the other hand, has adopted the exact same strategy as most Republicans in the Senate.

• She says she supports IVF but doesn’t believe Congress should get involved, telling a reporter, “I am much more about keeping a lot of this to the states, the less the federal government is getting involved in our lives, the better.”

• I’d guess that women living in states where access to IVF can be blocked by what are called “fetal personhood” laws might disagree.

• Women living in, say, Arizona.

• Republicans who control the Legislature here passed a personhood law a few years ago that currently is blocked by a federal judge.

• Four states have passed such laws and at least 17 others have discussed doing so.

• Which begs the question, if you say you support IVF, but wouldn’t vote for a bill to protect access, do you actually support it?

• It’s that oh-so-obvious difference between those who talk the talk and those who walk the walk.