WASHINGTON, DC (April 16, 2024) — Today, Congresswoman Valerie Foushee (NC-04) joined the entire North Carolina Democratic delegation, including Representatives Deborah Ross (NC-02), Jeff Jackson (NC-14), Alma Adams (NC-12), Kathy Manning (NC-06), Wiley Nickel (NC-13), and Don Davis (NC-01), in calling for enhanced protections for in vitro fertilization (IVF) in federal law. The lawmakers urged Speaker Mike Johnson to bring meaningful legislation for this purpose to the House floor as soon as possible.
The Alabama Supreme Court recently ruled that frozen embryos used during the IVF process are people, a decision which has imperiled the ability of women to start and grow their families through IVF – not just in Alabama but across the nation. This extreme ruling could encourage judges and legislators in other states – including North Carolina – to enact similar policies, restricting the reproductive freedom of the thousands of women and couples across North Carolina who rely on IVF.
Last month, the Republican Study Committee, consisting of nearly 80% of House Republicans, released its 2025 budget, which included provisions that would threaten IVF access. In North Carolina, Republicans in the General Assembly have filed the Human Life Protection Act, which endangers IVF access by categorizing an “unborn child” as “an individual living member of the homo sapiens species from fertilization until birth, including the entire embryonic and fetal stage of development.”
The Members wrote, “The American people overwhelmingly believe IVF should be legal, and both Democrats and Republicans alike have expressed their support for this technology. Yet, 127 House Republicans have cosponsored a bill that would classify embryos as children under federal law, and the House GOP Study Committee recently released a budget endorsing this legislation. This bill would have devastating consequences for IVF treatment in America.
“We cannot accept this latest attempt to control women, their bodies and their ability to have a family,” the Members continued. “When Congress reconvenes in May, we strongly urge you to put meaningful legislation to protect access to IVF and other assisted reproductive technologies on the House floor.”
Read the full text of the letter here.