A Pennsylvania Democrat is seeking to force the House to vote on legislation that would guarantee access to in vitro fertilization services nationwide.
Rep. Susan Wild plans to offer a discharge petition on the Access to Family Building Act, a bill she sponsored that would provide a statutory right to assisted reproductive technology, Axios reported Wednesday.
The bill has 200 co-sponsors, four of whom are Republican, and would also allow the Department of Justice to sue any state or city government that restricts IVF access.
Should Wild get 218 signatures on her petition, the bill would be discharged from the committee level and brought to the House for a floor vote. Given the GOP's narrow 220-212 House majority, she would need to peel off six Republicans to advance the petition.
Concerns about IVF access became a hot topic after the Alabama Supreme Court ruled in February that frozen embryos used in IVF treatments are children. In response, Alabama approved legislation in March that solidified protections for IVF providers and patients. Former President Donald Trump also has campaigned on protecting IVF access for Americans.
Republicans have abstained from signing onto any Democrat-led discharge petitions this congressional session, Axios reported. A similar discharge petition to protect access to contraception has not garnered any GOP signatures since it was launched in June.
Michael Katz ✉
Michael Katz is a Newsmax reporter with more than 30 years of experience reporting and editing on news, culture, and politics.
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