S. 4445, also known as the “Right to IVF Act,” would, in the words of the bill, “protect and expand nationwide access to fertility treatment, including in vitro fertilization.”
The Senate did not vote directly on S. 4445, but on a motion by Senator Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) to invoke cloture (and thus limit debate) so the bill could be voted on. The motion to invoke cloture was rejected on September 17, 2024 by a vote of 51 to 44 (Roll Call 242; a three-fifths majority of the entire Senate is required to invoke cloture). We have assigned pluses to the nays because IVF is not included in the powers delegated to the federal government by the Constitution. Moreover, in February 2024, the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos should be considered children, just as should be the case with embryos in the mother’s womb. The destruction of frozen embryos — which is common in the IVF process — is the destruction of innocent human life.
