VIRGINIA – A bill co-sponsored by Virginia lawmakers that would have federally protected access to IVF has failed.
This comes after the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos can be considered children. The move raised questions and concerns for patients and providers.
“What could happen in Alabama could happen across the nation, unfortunately,” said Sen. Mark Warner who co-sponsored the “Access to Family Building Act.”
The bill would have given protection for patients and healthcare providers to receive or perform fertility treatments. It also would have allowed healthcare providers or patients to sue a government official or agency that was trying to block them from accessing fertility care.
Warner warned about what he calls the ongoing repercussions since the overturn of Roe v. Wade.
“If you care about women’s healthcare, if it doesn’t concern you, it should,” said Warner.
Wednesday, the bill failed when a Republican senator objected.
“I think it’s more than a bit of hypocrisy that a Republican party that claims that it is pro-life doesn’t seem to be pro-family,” said Warner.
This comes as Alabama lawmakers are backtracking, passing a bill on Thursday to protect IVF and provide civil and criminal immunity to people providing the service.
“I think at the end of the day, what will happen is Americans will vote come this November. And if you want to not only protect women’s reproductive rights around birth control, abortion pills, the ability to get that process, or the ability to actually grow your family with IVF,” said Warner. “One team of candidates, regardless of what they say, are against those protections. I hope people remember that come November.”
10 News reached out to Republican lawmakers to get their thoughts: