JD Vance Defends Senate Republicans Who Blocked IVF Bill by Saying ‘It Had No Chance of Passing’
AP Photo/Abbie Parr
Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance defended Senate Republicans who blocked a nationwide IVF protection bill on Tuesday, claiming “it had no chance of passing” regardless.
The bill fell short of the 60 votes needed to pass the Senate after all Republicans except two voted against it.
Asked on Tuesday for his thoughts on the bill failing, despite former President Donald Trump’s support for IVF protection, Vance said, “I think we have to be careful here because the Senate did not block an IVF bill. The Senate blocked a ridiculous show vote bill that had no chance of passing.”
Vance went on to call the bill “ridiculous,” before adding, “Did Kamala Harris and Chuck Schumer come together and produce a bipartisan bill? No, they shoved through a vote today knowing it would have no chance of passing because they wanted to be able to say, we support IVF and the other guys don’t.”
He concluded, “But that’s not a real support of IVF, that’s political showmanship and I think Wisconsinites are sick of it. Let’s do real legislation and real policy in this country, not these ridiculous show votes.”
All present Republicans voted against the bill on Tuesday, with the exception of Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) and Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK).
However, Senate Minority Whip John Thune (R-SD) insisted that the opposition to the “show vote” did not mean Republicans oppose IVF.
“Republicans support IVF, full stop,” said Thune. “This is not an attempt to make law. This is not an attempt to get an outcome or to legislate.”
Thune went on to accuse Democrats of attempting to “create a political issue where there isn’t one.”
In February, Trump came out in support of IVF protection, telling voters, “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.”
He continued, “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.”
