(LibertySons.org) – In February, the Alabama Supreme Court shocked the nation when it ruled that embryos created through the in-vitro fertilization (IVF) process were considered children. That decision paralyzed providers who didn’t want to be on the hook if they were charged with a crime if they destroyed a frozen embryo. This left lawmakers scrambling to create legislation protecting doctors and facilities from such harm. Now, Senate Republicans are trying to safeguard protections at the federal level.
On Monday, May 20, Senators Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Katie Boyd Britt (R-AL) announced they were introducing the IVF Protection Act, safeguarding Americans’ access to the procedure. It would further deny any Medicaid funding to states that enact “an outright ban” on the service.
In a statement on his website, Cruz said that “IVF has given miraculous hope to millions of Americans” and he was “proud to partner with Sen. Katie Brit to ensure couples” throughout the country can become parents. Cruz also introduced some background to IVF, stating that it has been deemed safe and effective since the 1970s and has helped millions of people become parents who otherwise wouldn’t have had the opportunity. Further, approximately 2% of live births in the country are due to IVF, which offers a symbol of hope.
In the wake of the Alabama Supreme Court decision, the state took its own action, with Governor Kay Ivey (R) signing a law that protects both providers and patients from liability. Cruz and Britt simply want to take it to the federal level to clear up any uncertainty.
The ruling from the state supreme court was in response to several wrongful death suits filed when parents alleged a clinic failed to adequately protect their embryos. A psychiatric inpatient had managed to gain access to the cryostorage area where the fertilized eggs were stored through an unsecured door. He then dropped them, rendering them unusable, which triggered the lawsuits and the unprecedented ruling.
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