[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 36 (Wednesday, February 28, 2024)]
[House]
[Pages H701-H702]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   CONTINUED ACCESS TO FERTILITY CARE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
South Carolina (Ms. Mace) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. MACE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to urge my colleagues to join 
my resolution in regard to IVF. My resolution expresses support for 
continued access to fertility care and assisted reproductive 
technologies such as in vitro fertilization in light of Alabama's court 
ruling last week that has jeopardized access to in vitro fertilization 
and other assisted reproductive technology in the State of Alabama.
  For years now, since 2019, I have been advocating for women's issues 
and women's rights on the issue of contraception, on the issue of 
contraceptives, and on the issue of abortion exceptions, particularly 
for the life of the mother, rape, and incest.
  In 2019, as a State lawmaker, I told my story as a survivor of rape. 
When the State of South Carolina was doing its fetal heartbeat bill, it 
had no exceptions for women who were raped or for girls who were 
victims of incest, and I was frustrated by that argument because very 
few women are actually speaking up about women and about those 
exceptions.
  Ever since then, I have become very passionate about protecting 
women, about protecting their rights, and about protecting access to 
IVF, et cetera.
  Today, I want to point out I have cosponsored legislation and 
resolutions by my colleagues on the other side of the aisle as it 
relates to contraception, as it relates to contraceptives, as it 
relates to providing information and protecting IVF, and, yet, not a 
single one of them got criticized for the legislation because they were 
Democrats.
  Yet today, I am trying to work with Members on both sides of the 
aisle together to condemn the ruling in Alabama, to express our 
sentiment and express our support for IV access for women all across 
the country.
  When a Republican does it, it should be equally supported by the 
corporate media, but, apparently, it is not.
  I am urging my colleagues today to get beyond the divisive politics 
and look forward to how we can actually work together because this IVF 
issue shouldn't be Republican, and it shouldn't be Democrat.
  The vast majority of Americans--I dare say almost every single 
American in this country, almost a hundred percent--support efforts to 
protect women's access to IVF.
  I also want to mention, last year I cosponsored H. Res. 345, Debbie 
Wasserman Schultz' resolution, that recognizes that infertility is a 
widespread problem that affects populations of diverse ages, races, 
ethnicities, and genders.
  Madam Speaker, 12 percent of women in the U.S. have difficulty 
getting pregnant or staying pregnant, and 9 percent of men experience 
infertility.
  The resolution acknowledged that infertility is a disease and that 
infertility is not just a women's issue because it impacts men also. 
This is a families' issue.
  The Federal Government has a moral obligation to ensure the 
availability of infertility-related services to all individuals and 
families without barriers such as access, cost, and coverage.
  I remind the press that I also was only one of eight Republicans that 
voted in favor of Kathy Manning's Right to Contraception Act.
  The Greater Access to Contraceptive Options Act ensures women and 
families across the country have a right to obtain and use 
contraceptions. It is a commonsense measure in the case of rape, 
incest, or in order to maintain a healthy and well-functioning body. 
Reducing the number of unwanted pregnancies requires ensuring 
contraceptives are available to couples, women, et cetera.

[[Page H702]]

  Finally, beyond the numbers as it relates to my resolution regarding 
support for IVF, IVF has a genuinely positive impact on individuals, 
families, and communities.
  IVF and other assisted reproductive technologies contribute to the 
birth of over 10 million babies globally every single year. In the 
U.S., 12 percent of women of reproductive age have utilized assisted 
reproductive technology.
  Infertility is a deeply personal and obviously devastating issue. I 
am calling on my colleagues today on both sides of the aisle, 
Republican and Democrat alike, to join me in expressing the sentiment 
in the whole House of Representatives that we are dedicated to 
protecting the American Dream of starting a family by cosponsoring this 
resolution.

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