ASRM Responds to Senate Vote on IVF Bill
Statement attributable to Sean Tipton, Chief Advocacy and Policy Officer
For Immediate Release
Washington, DC – The American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) is disappointed that a filibuster prevented the passage of the Right to IVF Act. Championed by Senators Tammy Duckworth, Patty Murray, and Cory Booker this legislation aims to create a statutory right for healthcare professionals to provide In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) and increase access to IVF treatments for all Americans, including active-duty service members, veterans, and federal employees. If enacted, the bill would mandate insurance coverage for fertility treatments, making them more affordable. ASRM has long advocated for federal protections and insurance coverage for IVF and is thrilled that Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer brought this historic package to the Senate floor.
Record numbers of our members contacted their Senators to ask for their support, and dozens came to DC from all over the country to advocate for this bill. We know the majority of Americans support access to IVF and we will not rest until that access is guaranteed to all Americans. While politics kept this bill from passing today, we were pleased that the pro IVF side got more votes today than did the opposition. Even those who voted against the bill issued a statement supporting IVF in general stating, ‘We strongly support continued nationwide access to IVF, which has allowed millions of aspiring parents to start and grow their families.”
Momentum is clearly on our side. On the other side of the Capitol, this morning, Representatives Susan Wild and Debroah Wasserman-Shultz announced the launch of a discharge petition to force a vote on the Right to IVF Act in the House.
To paraphrase Admiral John Paul Jones during the Revolutionary war,
For almost a century, the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) has been the global leader in multidisciplinary reproductive medicine research, ethical practice, and education. ASRM impacts reproductive care and science worldwide by creating funding opportunities for advancing reproduction research and discovery, by providing evidence-based education and public health information, and by advocating for reproductive health care professionals and the patients they serve. With members in more than 100 countries, the Society is headquartered in Washington, DC, with additional operations in Birmingham, AL. www.asrm.org
For media inquiries regarding this press release contact:
Sean Tipton
ASRM Chief Advocacy and Policy Officer
E: stipton@asrm.org
Anna Hovey
Advocacy Engagement Specialist
E: ahovey@asrm.org
J. Benjamin Younger Office of Public Affairs
726 7th St. SE
Washington, DC 20003
Tel: (202) 863-2494
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