Breaking – Wisconsin MAGA Republican Ron Johnson votes down IVF protections again after Trump put the treatment at risk – WisPolitics

As Trump’s Project 2025 agenda threatens IVF access, MAGA Senate Republicans vote against IVF protections

After Republican Senator Ron Johnson again voted down a bill that would ensure IVF protections, DNC Spokesperson Addy Toevs released the following statement: 

“Because of Donald Trump, IVF access is at risk for Wisconsinites, and today, MAGA Republicans in the Senate once again blocked vital protections for the treatment. Donald Trump is not only responsible for placing IVF in jeopardy after overturning Roe and ripping away federal abortion protections – his Project 2025 agenda would ban abortion and threaten IVF access nationwide. MAGA Republicans are already plotting to restrict IVF access, and it’s a dark preview of what’s to come if Trump wins a second term which will threaten access to IVF nationally. Families in Wisconsin don’t need Trump or MAGA Republicans telling them when or how they can grow their families.” 

The Trump-Vance Project 2025 agenda would threaten IVF access for millions of women, and Trump’s extremist allies are already plotting ways for Trump to restrict IVF. 

Politico: “Anti-abortion advocates worked for five decades to topple Roe v. Wade. They’re now laying the groundwork for a yearslong fight to curb in vitro fertilization.

“Since the Alabama Supreme Court ruled last month that frozen embryos are children, the Heritage Foundation and other conservative groups have been strategizing how to convince not just GOP officials but evangelicals broadly that they should have serious moral concerns about fertility treatments like IVF and that access to them should be curtailed.”

Media Matters: “The Heritage Foundation quietly released draconian new IVF policy recommendations for the next GOP president”

“The Heritage Foundation, the right-wing think tank organizing the plan for a conservative overhaul of the federal government known as Project 2025, recently published another blog critical of in vitro fertilization procedures, this one with a list of specific policy recommendations for limiting access to the reproductive method. 

“Heritage has been a staunchly anti-IVF voice, supporting Alabama’s controversial Supreme Court ruling that frozen embryos cultivated through IVF treatment have the same rights as living children, and that a person can be held liable for destroying embryos. 

“The list of policy suggestions in the recent blog post echoes the MAGA-backed Project 2025, a comprehensive plan Heritage has spearheaded for the next GOP presidential administration that includes calls to eliminate the term ‘reproductive health’ from federal rules and regulations and to tighten restrictions on abortion rights and access to certain emergency contraceptives. In its pieces on IVF, Heritage expands on the extreme conservative agenda outlined by Project 2025.”

Axios: “This is undeniably a Trump-driven operation. The biggest tell: Johnny McEntee — one of Trump’s closest White House aides, and his most fervent internal loyalty enforcer — is a senior adviser to Project 2025. One of the most powerful architects is Stephen Miller, a top West Wing adviser for the Trump administration.”

Vance: “I’ve reviewed a lot of [Project 2025]. There are some good ideas in there.”

The Nation: “And by declaring that life begins at conception, his [Project 2025] manifesto appears to commit HHS to finding ways to outlaw IVF, which relies on generating multiple embryos, most of which are not implanted.”

Reproductive Freedom for All: “The extensive mandate calls to gut reproductive freedom, including effectively banning medication abortion, ending access to emergency abortion care, attacking contraception, deploying fetal personhood, and undermining IVF in federal policy…

“Project 2025 includes personhood language and policies that propagate the belief that life begins at conception—which could have devastating impacts should it be put into law. This so-called ‘personhood’ language could ban not only abortion but also some forms of birth control and assisted fertility treatments like IVF.”

Trump has deep ties to anti-choice extremists working to rip away access to IVF.

HuffPost: “Donald Trump Has Deep Ties To Anti-IVF Movement”

“Like many Republicans, Trump’s words of support don’t align with his past actions on IVF. The current Republican presidential nominee ― who has repeatedly bragged about his role in repealing federal abortion protections ― has deep ties to extreme right-wing organizations that actively oppose IVF.

“While in the White House, Trump and his administration praised, appointed and worked with some of the nation’s most extreme thought leaders who believe the IVF process is akin to murder. Trump hosted the Alabama Supreme Court chief justice who wrote the IVF ruling twice: once during his 2016 campaign and in 2018 at the White House. (This is the same chief justice who recently appeared on a QAnon conspiracist’s show.)…

“During his time as president, Trump appointed several extreme anti-IVF advocates to positions of power…

“He also appointed a woman who spent much of her career attacking assisted reproductive technologies, such as IVF and surrogacy, to a lifetime federal judicial appointment. Sarah Pitlyk, who was deemed ‘not qualified’ by the American Bar Association, wrote in multiple rulings that states should treat embryos as humans. Trump put Pitlyk on a shortlist of Supreme Court justice picks. The job went to Amy Coney Barrett, who publicly supported an anti-abortion group that believes IVF should be criminalized…

“Abortion rights advocates have warned that the anti-choice movement would come for IVF and fertility treatments once Roe v. Wade fell. Currently, more than a dozen states are considering laws that would enshrine fetal personhood, threatening IVF and other fertility treatments.”

Donald Trump and JD Vance have refused to say he would veto a national abortion ban.

Kristen Welker, NBC News: “If Donald Trump were to be elected, if a federal abortion ban were to land on his desk, would he veto it?”

Vance: “You heard the president say we hadn’t discussed it. We still haven’t discussed it … I’ve learned my lesson on speaking for the president before he and I have actually talked about an issue.”

Forbes: “Vance Won’t Say If Trump Would Veto An Abortion Ban—Walking Back Earlier Comments”

“Ohio Sen. JD Vance wouldn’t say whether former president Donald Trump would veto a national abortion ban on Sunday—backtracking on comments from three weeks earlier, after Trump avoided saying whether he’d veto a ban in last week’s presidential debate.

“Vance wouldn’t say definitively whether Trump would veto a national abortion ban if passed by Congress.”

The Hill: “Trump refuses to say he would veto a national abortion ban”

Attacks on reproductive rights, like Trump and Vance’s anti-freedom Project 2025 agenda that threatens IVF access, are wildly unpopular.

ABC News: “Americans continue to support IVF and abortion access”

“The vast majority of registered voters, 80 percent, think IVF should be legal.”

Navigator Research: “Large majorities say reproductive care like birth control pills and IVF should be made easier to access, including majorities of Republicans.… Americans across party lines also say access to fertility planning like IVF should be easier to access, including 72 percent of Democrats, 59 percent of independents, and 53 percent of Republicans.”

Before today, Donald Trump’s MAGA minions in the Senate – including his extreme vice presidential pick JD Vance – have already blocked legislation to protect IVF access THREE TIMES.

CBS News: Senate to vote on IVF package as Democrats look to corner Republicans after Trump statements

CNN: “Senate Democrats are bringing the bill back to the floor after Republicans blocked the measure from advancing in June. The legislation is likely to again be blocked by GOP senators.”

Associated Press: “Republicans block Senate bill to protect nationwide access to IVF treatments”

The Hill: “Republicans block bill to protect access to IVF”

“Senate Republicans blocked an effort Wednesday to pass legislation that would federally protect access to in vitro fertilization (IVF).”

Vanity Fair: “On Wednesday, Senate Republicans are expected to object to Tammy Duckworth’s Right to Build Families Act, because, surprise: They don’t actually care about families and aren’t ‘pro-life.’

“‘It’s idiotic for us to take the bait,’ Senator JD Vance told Politico, as though the measure were some kind of political trap. (He also noted that he had not actually read the bill yet.)”

The Hill: “Senate Republicans block legislation to codify IVF access”

Republicans who voted against include: JD Vance.

New Republic: Here are all the other Senate Republicans who, after signing a GOP-led statement in support of IVF Thursday morning, actually voted against the Right to IVF Act:

Spectrum News: “Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., said he fully supports IVF, but a spokesperson said he would not support a bill by Democrats to federally protect the procedure…”

WISN: “The vote, though, in the U.S. Senate is anything but certain, with some Republicans saying no federal action is needed. POLITICO reported Sen. Ron Johnson said the problem would be ‘taken care of in Alabama.’”