{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.booker.senate.gov/news/press/booker-duckworth-murray-unveil-sweeping-legislative-package-to-establish-a-nationwide-right-to-ivf-and-lower-ivf-costs-for-families", "Booker, Duckworth, Murray Unveil Sweeping Legislative Package to Establish a Nationwide Right to IVF and Lower IVF Costs for Families", "2024-06-03", "2024", "2024-06", "Democrat", "Senate", "NJ", "Cory A. Booker", "B001288", "www.booker.senate.gov", "booker", "https://www.booker.senate.gov/news/press", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Today, U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) joined Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), and Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, to unveil a new, sweeping legislative package that would both establish a nationwide right to in-vitro fertilization (IVF) and other assisted reproductive technology (ART) as well as lower the costs of IVF treatment for the millions of families who need it to have their children.\n\n\u201cIn the wake of the Supreme Court\u2019s disastrous decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, we must recommit ourselves to protecting reproductive freedoms and Americans\u2019 right to make their own medical decisions,\u201d said Senator Booker. \u201cExtreme court rulings have made it crystal clear that access to IVF treatments are under threat across America, which is why I am working with my colleagues to introduce this comprehensive package of bills that will ensure that the freedom to start and grow a family is protected and accessible to everyone in the United States.\u201d\n\n\u201cIn the nearly two years since the Supreme Court threw out Roe v. Wade, our nation has seen the horrific consequences of Republicans\u2019 anti-science, anti-woman crusade that has put IVF at risk for millions of Americans who rely on it to start or grow their family,\u201d said Senator Duckworth. \u201cStruggling with infertility is painful enough\u2014every American deserves the right to access the treatment and tools they need to build the family of their dreams without the fear of being prosecuted for murder or manslaughter. I\u2019m proud to unveil this sweeping legislative package with my colleagues that would actually protect the freedom to receive or provide IVF nationwide, while making these treatments more affordable and accessible for the millions of American families\u2014including military families and Veterans\u2014who are experiencing infertility across the country.\u201d\n\n\u201cRepublican attacks on reproductive rights since the Dobbs decision have not stopped at abortion\u2014their reckless crusade to criminalize basic reproductive health care and give embryos the exact same rights as living, breathing human beings has put IVF in jeopardy and endangered the lives of pregnant women,\u201d said Senator Murray. \u201cWe saw what happened in Alabama, where families\u2019 lives were thrown into chaos and their dreams of having children ripped away because of extreme Republican ideology\u2014this should never happen anywhere in America. Unlike GOP legislation that would not protect IVF and is only a PR tool for Republicans to hide their extremism, our Right to IVF Act would actually protect Americans from attempts to restrict IVF and would allow more people to access these vital services at a lower cost. Importantly, this legislation includes my bill to help veterans and servicemembers access IVF\u2014these are women and men who have sacrificed so much for our families and should never have to sacrifice their ability to start their own.\u201d\n\n\u201cIn the nearly two years since the MAGA-right Supreme Court released the disastrous Dobbs decision, the Republican party has been on a relentless crusade to strip women of their reproductive rights,\u201d said Leader Schumer. \u201cSenate Democrats are fighting for women, for families, and for personal freedoms. IVF is just the latest example of Republicans vilifying something that has been an invaluable aide to countless American families and is widely supported by the American people. We must enshrine the right to these vital services and work to make sure that they are accessible for those who are experiencing infertility.\u201d\n\nBuilding on the lawmakers\u2019 previous efforts to protect and strengthen access to IVF, this pro-family, pro-freedom legislative package includes:\n\nSenator Booker\u2019s Access to Infertility Treatment and Care Act, which would increase affordability of fertility care\u2014including IVF\u2014by requiring employer-sponsored insurance plans and other public insurance plans to cover fertility treatments. Additionally, it would standardize a baseline of high-quality fertility treatment coverage under private health insurance plans, while protecting Americans against excessive out-of-pocket costs.\n\nSenator Duckworth\u2019s Access to Family Building Act, which would establish a nationwide right for patients to access IVF and other ART services, a right for doctors to provide IVF treatment in accordance with medical standards as well as a right for insurance carriers to cover IVF without prohibition, limitation, interference or impediment. By establishing a statutory right, this would pre-empt any state effort to limit such access and ensuring no hopeful parent\u2014or their doctors\u2014are punished for trying to start or grow a family.\n\nIn February, Senator Duckworth sought unanimous consent to pass this legislation and Republican U.S. Senator of Mississippi Cindy Hyde-Smith blocked it.\n\nSenator Murray\u2019s Veteran Families Health Services Act, which would expand the fertility treatments and family-building services that are covered under servicemembers\u2019 and Veterans\u2019 health care to include\u2014among other things\u2014the option for individuals to cryopreserve their gametes (freeze their eggs or sperm) ahead of deployment to a combat zone and in vitro fertilization (IVF) for servicemembers and veterans who are unable to conceive without assistance.\n\nIn March, Senator Murray sought unanimous consent to pass this legislation and Republican U.S. Senator of Oklahoma James Lankford blocked it.\n\nSenator Duckworth\u2019s Family Building FEHB Fairness Act, which would require Federal Employees Health Benefit (FEHB) Program\u2014the largest employer-sponsored health insurance plan in the world\u2014carriers to cover IVF and ART to help more hardworking Americans start and grow their families.\n\nThe Right to IVF Act is supported by RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association and American Society for Reproductive Medicine.\n\n\u201cThe 1 in 6 people who struggle with infertility and want to pursue medical treatment like IVF to build their family, face far too many obstacles,\u201d said President and CEO of RESOLVE Barbara Collura. \u201cWhile lack of comprehensive insurance coverage continues to be the biggest obstacle, the threat to the availability of IVF continues to grow. Year after year, RESOLVE\u2019s brave advocates ask Congress to pass pro-family legislation that will help them build their family. And today, the U.S. Senate has heard our pleas. We are thrilled to see the Senate take up the Right to IVF Act, legislation which would not only protect IVF across the U.S. but bring real access to so many including our veterans, service members, and federal employees who want a chance at parenthood. Our community can\u2019t wait any longer \u2013 let\u2019s pass the Right to IVF Act.\u201d\n\n\u201cASRM applauds the introduction of the Right to IVF Act. This omnibus package of pro-family building bills will create a statutory right for healthcare professionals across the country to provide IVF and increase access to IVF for the patients who our members serve,\u201d said ASRM President Dr. Paula Amato. \u201cFor decades, ASRM has led the call for federal protections for IVF and insurance coverage for IVF for all Americans, including service members, veterans, and federal employees. This package is truly IVF for all, and we urge the U.S. Senate to pass it right away.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:11:47Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.booker.senate.gov/news/press/booker-duckworth-murray-unveil-sweeping-legislative-package-to-establish-a-nationwide-right-to-ivf-and-lower-ivf-costs-for-families"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.8513869252055883, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}