President Biden and former President Trump both disagreed with a recent Alabama Supreme Court ruling that found frozen embryos constitute children under state law, which could limit in vitro fertilization (IVF) in the state.
Trump voiced his support for IVF on social media, calling for the Alabama legislature to preserve its availability.
“It applies to all children, born and unborn, without limitation,” the ruling stated, adding that this is “especially true where, as here, the people of [Alabama] have adopted a constitutional amendment directly aimed at stopping courts from excluding ‘unborn life’ from legal protection.”
Biden also released a statement supporting IVF and criticizing the ruling’s impact on families seeking fertility treatments.
“Under my leadership, the Republican Party will always support the creation of strong, thriving, healthy American families. We want to make it easier for mothers and fathers to have babies, not harder! That includes supporting the availability of fertility treatments like IVF in every State in America. Like the OVERWHELMING MAJORITY of Americans, including the VAST MAJORITY of Republicans, Conservatives, Christians, and Pro-Life Americans, I strongly support the availability of IVF for couples who are trying to have a precious baby,” Trump said.
“Today, I am calling on the Alabama Legislature to act quickly to find an immediate solution to preserve the availability of IVF in Alabama. The Republican Party should always be on the side of the Miracle of Life – and the side of Mothers, Fathers, and their Beautiful Babies. IVF is an important part of that, and our Great Republican Party will always be with you, in your quest, for the ULTIMATE JOY IN LIFE!” he said.
“Today, in 2024 in America, women are being turned away from emergency rooms and forced to travel hundreds of miles for health care, while doctors fear prosecution for providing an abortion. And now, a court in Alabama put access to some fertility treatments at risk for families who are desperately trying to get pregnant. The disregard for women’s ability to make these decisions for themselves and their families is outrageous and unacceptable,” he said.
Vice President Harris directly criticized Trump as the “architect” of the current healthcare crisis.
“No matter what Donald Trump says about IVF,” he is “the architect of this health care crisis,” Harris said.
Their comments come after the US Supreme Court’s June decision overturning Roe v. Wade, which returned the issue of abortion to the states.
While the Alabama justices based their ruling on state law, Biden and others blamed the national ruling for limiting women’s healthcare choices and access to procedures like IVF.
“Roe was egregiously wrong from the start,” Justice Samuel Alito wrote.
“We hold that Roe and Casey must be overruled,” he added. “It is time to heed the Constitution and return the issue of abortion to the people’s elected representatives.”
“We, therefore, hold the Constitution does not confer a right to abortion. Roe and Casey must be overruled, and the authority to regulate abortion must be returned to the people and their elected representatives,” Alito added.
