Heinrich will “fight like hell” for reproductive rights

ALBUQUERQUE, NM— This week Congress once again took up the issue of codifying access to in vitro fertilization (IVF), as championed by New Mexico Senator Martin Heinrich, into law. IVF has increasingly come under threat by anti-choice Republicans since a conservative judge attempted to ban the practice in Alabama earlier this year. A previous attempt to codify access to IVF was blocked by Republicans in June. The issue has been reinvigorated because Donald Trump, during his debate with Kamala Harris, claimed to support IVF and to be “a leader in fertilization”. Taking him at his word, Democrats reintroduced legislation that would guarantee access to IVF, putting Republicans on the record. For the second time this year, Republicans squashed the bill, demonstrating once again a radical disconnect between their words and their actions.

Senator Martin Heinrich has been a staunch defender of reproductive rights throughout his career and emphatically supports the Right to IVF Bill. In fact, the bill, which would overturn any state law that attempts to restrict access to IVF, was originally introduced and is co-sponsored by the Senator. Of course, Sen. Heinrich also emphatically rejected the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe vs. Wade and advocates for enshrining abortion rights into law. He has additionally co-sponsored legislation to protect access to mifepristone and contraceptives, fending off attacks on healthcare by anti-choice Republicans. Fundamentally, Heinrich understands that healthcare decisions should be made by women and their doctors, not extremist judges. This is why Heinrich supported pro-choice candidates in New Mexico, which helped overturn the state’s previous law criminalizing abortion. It is also why he has an unblemished record of support for in vitro fertilization and will continue to fight until all families have legal access to IVF and abortion across the country. 

The senator registered his frustration with the Republicans’ second-time killing of the IVF bill, saying, “Once again, Senate Republicans have blocked legislation that would protect families’ freedom to start and grow a family with IVF. Republicans are using their position of power to tell people when, how, and with whom to start their families. Shame on them.”

Heinrich continued, “Let me be clear: I will never stop fighting to safeguard New Mexicans’ freedom to access reproductive health care. I will use every tool at my disposal to reinstate the protections provided by Roe v. Wade, and combat extreme Republican laws aimed at stripping away access to IVF, contraception, and abortion care.”

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