[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 37 (Thursday, February 29, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Page S1060]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                          Reproductive Rights

  Mr. PETERS. Madam President, when my three children were born, it was 
unlike anything else I have ever, ever experienced before. Those 3 days 
were the best in my life, and it is hard to put into words how 
beautiful and how daunting it is to have a child.
  Every American who wants to be a parent should have that opportunity, 
and when they are faced with medical challenges while starting a 
family, they should have the right to pursue every resource to help 
them navigate that process. IVF is one of those tools, and it has 
helped countless Americans. For those who have experienced frequent 
miscarriages, suffered from genetic disorders, or are otherwise 
affected by infertility, IVF is an essential procedure. It is safe. It 
is necessary. And it has given millions of people the chance to have a 
family.
  Last week, a ruling from the Alabama Supreme Court put the future of 
IVF in jeopardy. So my Democratic colleagues and I went to work. We 
proposed a bill that would protect the right to seek IVF treatment for 
all Americans. I am grateful to Senators Duckworth and Murray for 
leading the charge on this legislation, and I was proud to be one of 
the cosponsors.
  But, yesterday, Republicans blocked the Senate from passing it. They 
decided to put politics before protecting a critical medical procedure. 
They have put this resource at risk, one that has allowed millions of 
women and LGBTQ Americans to have children. They think that they know 
better than doctors. They think they know better than parents. They 
think they know more than four decades of proven science. The bill they 
opposed is literally pro-life and pro-family. Yet Republicans refused 
to put it on the floor.
  Let's not forget how this all started. Senate Republicans stood with 
former President Trump when he stacked the Supreme Court with extreme 
judges. And when the Court overturned Roe v. Wade, it ripped the right 
to make choices about reproductive healthcare away from millions of 
women.
  And now conservatives across the country feel empowered to take it 
even further. The ruling in Alabama is just the latest instance in the 
war against reproductive freedom. It could keep millions of Americans 
from starting families, and Senate Republicans are just fine with that.
  We don't know how far this will go. We don't know what other proven 
procedures Republicans will try to take away from families in the 
future. We don't know what effect these rulings will have on new 
innovations in fertility science. We don't know if they are going to 
come after birth control next. But one thing is very, very clear: This 
is just the beginning of their efforts to deny reproductive freedom.
  IVF should be available to every American citizen who needs it. And 
when someone is choosing to have children, politicians should never get 
in the way.
  I call on my Republican colleagues to support the Access to Family 
Building Act, to stop playing politics and instead stand behind the 
millions of Americans who simply want--who simply want--the chance to 
start a family.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Texas.