A recent Alabama Supreme Court ruling that declared embryos are children prompted some fertility clinics to halt IVF treatments.
This exposed divisions among Republicans on abortion post-Roe.
“I felt I had the opportunity to be a mom ripped away multiple times,” Alabama resident Gabrielle Goidel said. “It just feels every time I try, the rug gets pulled out from under me and my husband. All we want is to be a family and have children and live the traditional American dream.”
The ruling pulled Republicans between social conservatives and moderates, complicating their response.
While not banning IVF, the ruling caused uncertainty for patients.
Biden said the ruling disregarded women’s choices, while Republicans like Nikki Haley struggled in their responses, with Haley expressing conflicting views.
His campaign argued a national abortion ban could follow if Republicans win in 2022.
“An embryo is considered an unborn baby,” Nikki Haley said. “I think that the court was doing it based on the law, and I think Alabama needs to go back and look at the law,” she said.
“We want to make sure whatever we do, that we have plenty of opportunities and availability for fertility treatments to go forward,” she said. “We don’t want fertility treatments to shut down.”
“I haven’t studied the issue so I’m going to let Nikki Haley continue to go back and forth on that issue,” Sen. Tim Scott said.
“Make no mistake: this is a direct result of the overturning of Roe v. Wade,” Biden said. The ruling showed a “disregard for women’s ability to make these decisions for themselves” that is “outrageous and unacceptable,” he said.
“Across the nation, MAGA Republicans are inserting themselves into the most personal decisions a family can make, from contraception to IVF,” Biden campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez said. “With their latest attack on reproductive freedom, these so-called pro-life Republicans are preventing loving couples from growing their families. If Donald Trump is elected, there is no question that he will impose his extreme anti-freedom agenda on the entire country.”
Trump has remained silent.
The ruling highlighted the political challenges for Republicans on an issue Democrats believe favors them after Roe was overturned.
It showed how abortion continues transforming the political landscape.
