What They’re Saying: Senate Republican Candidates Are On The Record Threatening Access to IVF, Opposing Reproductive Freedom

As Senate Republicans again block legislation to enshrine protections for in-vitro fertilization into federal law, here is a look at the wave of recent local and national reporting highlighting Senate Republican candidates’ records supporting the overturn of Roe v. Wade and backing efforts to make IVF illegal. 

See for yourself:

In Arizona: 

• The Copper Courier reported that Kari Lake “opposes protections [for IVF] at the federal level,” and her “support for Arizona’s total ban on abortion” which “would shift the state’s definition for when life begins to conception,” and “would cause the scenario that unfolded in Alabama to take place in Arizona.” 
  
  
• The Daily Beast also highlighted Kari Lake’s outspoken belief that “life begins at conception” during her failed 2022 run for Governor.

In Florida: 

• Florida Playbook highlighted that Rick Scott failed to support the Democratic bill protecting IVF.
  
  
• American Journal News reported that Scott “introduced a resolution… that he said would protect access to in vitro fertilization,” but “a closer look at the text reveals it would do little to actually safeguard the procedure, …does nothing to codify IVF access into federal law” and “encourages congress to pass laws that ‘promote the sanctity of human life.’” The story notes that “Scott has a history of opposing reproductive health care access,” including cosponsoring and supporting a national abortion ban that would criminalize doctors who perform the procedure.  

In Maryland: 

• NBC News reported that “Larry Hogan decline[d] to say whether he’d support a federal law to codify Roe v. Wade” in an interview with Axios last week. 
  
  
• Semafor reported that Hogan “repeatedly refused” to say he’d support federal legislation protecting IVF. 
  
  
• Axios and The Hill highlighted that “when pressed on if his answer was a yes or no,” Hogan said “that wasn’t a yes or no” and “laugh[ed] briefly to himself.” 

In Michigan: 

• The Gander reported that Mike Rogers supports “a near-total abortion ban” and co-sponsored four fetal personhood bills “that would’ve made IVF treatment illegal nationwide.” 
  
  
• Michigan Advance highlighted that while Rogers tries to hide from his record, “in his 14 years in Congress Mike Rogers sponsored 4 bills that would have the same effect as the Alabama Supreme Court’s IVF ruling.” 
  
  
• The Detroit News reported that “Mike Rogers of Brighton and Peter Meijer of Grand Rapids Township ― both of whom are seeking the GOP nomination for Senate — also co-sponsored versions of the [Life Begins At Conception Act] when they served in the House…the bills that Rogers sponsored most recently in 2013, and Meijer in 2021, didn’t include specific language protecting IVF.” 
  
  
• The Daily Beast reported Peter Meijer said “I am 100% pro-life and will defend Life from conception to natural death.” 
  
  
• America Journal News detailed Justin Amash’s “history of extreme anti-abortion views” including voting to restrict IVF.
  

In Montana: 

• POLITICO reported that Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America (SBA) came out against nationwide federal protections for IVF access. SBA recently endorsed Tim Sheehy.
  

In Nevada: 

• The Nevada Independent highlighted “in a 2014 run for the Texas Legislature, Brown said supporting the state’s 20-week ban was a ‘nonnegotiable’ for him. In 2022, his campaign answered a questionnaire saying abortion should be banned in all cases […] As recently as September, he said in a statement that he was pro-life.” 

• In a guest column in the Reno Gazette Journal, the director of Nevada campaigns at Reproductive Freedom for All Denise Lopez notes that “if he ever gets a vote in the Senate, Sam Brown would side with Donald Trump, Mitch McConnell and anti-abortion extremists over the will of Nevadans every time.” 

In Ohio: 

• The Columbus Dispatch reported that Bernie Moreno, Frank LaRose and Matt Dolan all “opposed Ohio’s new abortion rights amendment passed by voters in November, which also protects access to fertility treatment.” 
  
  
• A recent WXVU column reported that “all three…opposed Issue 1 last fall,” which protects the right to “‘make and carry out one’s own reproductive decisions, including, but not limited to’ decisions about abortion, contraception, miscarriage care, and fertility treatment.” 
  
  
• NBC News reported that Bernie Moreno, Frank LaRose and Matt Dolan would all overrule the ballot measure Ohioans voted for by supporting a ban on abortion. 
  
  
• American Journal News revealed “newly unearthed audio” of Bernie Moreno saying he was “absolute pro-life no exceptions.” 
  
  
• The Daily Beast reported Moreno said “conservative Republicans should never back down from their belief that life begins at conception.”   
  

In Pennsylvania: 

• WESA reported that when David McCormick’s campaign was asked whether he’d support “federal protection to fertility procedures” including IVF treatments, McCormick and his campaign wouldn’t say. 
  
  
• Heartland Signal reported that a McCormick spokesperson “refused to directly answer whether the candidate would support Sen. Tammy Duckworth’s (D-IL) bill to protect IVF.”

In Wisconsin: 

• Daily Beast reported Eric Hovde “described his abortion position…as protecting ‘all human life from conception to natural death.’” 

See also: GOPonAbortion.com; MEMO TO THE NRSC: THAT MEMO WAS A BAD IDEA; DSCC Statement on Senate Republicans Blocking IVF Protection Bill.

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