SCOTUS dismisses extreme mifepristone challenge, but the door remains open for states to continue imposing restrictions, including the 14 Republican-controlled states that already ban access
WASHINGTON — Today, Republicans in the U.S. Senate failed to pass a measure that would have established nationwide protections for IVF, a core component of family planning services. This comes on the heels of a failed U.S. Senate vote last week to establish protections for birth control. Combined, these votes reiterate that in a post-Roe world, state legislatures are shaping the patchwork of reproductive care available for Americans.
Unfortunately, Republican-controlled states have wasted no time undermining access to IVF. Earlier this year, Republicans on the Alabama Supreme Court delivered a devastating ruling that fertilized eggs have the same rights as children, which caused several clinics to shutter. Alabama isn’t an isolated case – Republicans in at least 14 states introduced bills to jeopardize access to IVF services in 2024 legislative sessions alone. Today’s failure to codify federal protections for IVF will only further embolden state Republicans to attack family planning services – especially given Trump has promised to “leave everything up to the states.”
The strongest path to end this crusade on reproductive freedom is electing Democrats to state legislatures. IVF and abortion access are on the ballot in 2024.
Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee National Press Secretary Sam Paisley issued the following statement:
“States are on the frontlines of every aspect of reproductive freedom, from abortion to birth control to IVF. Unfortunately, Republicans are advancing these attacks at supersonic speed, and will only feel more emboldened in the absence of federal protections. That’s especially true given Trump has promised to ‘leave everything up to the states.’ The only way to stop these egregious attacks on how and when people plan their families is to build Democratic power in state legislatures. The battle for reproductive freedoms is in the states, and only Democrats at our level of the ballot can clean up the mess that state Republicans have made. 2024 is an essential year to elect Democrats who will protect fundamental freedoms.”
The DLCC is the official arm of the Democratic Party with the sole mission of building Democratic power in the states and setting the national agenda at the state level. Over the last decade, we have fought cycle-over-cycle to gain a dozen new legislative chamber majorities and we are leading the effort to bring national attention and investment to our ballot level. State legislatures are the building blocks of our democracy and have the closest connections to Americans’ day-to-day lives. From protecting fundamental freedoms and voting rights to growing the middle class, the DLCC and state legislators are moving the Democratic agenda forward and shaping the future of this country.
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