The US Senate is scheduled to vote later on Tuesday on a bill aimed at establishing federal protections and expanding insurance coverage for fertility treatments. This comes just days after Republican former President Donald Trump surprised supporters by expressing his support for such legislation.
The Senate previously voted on the same bill in June, but it did not secure the necessary 60 votes to proceed, as most Republicans opposed it. Democrats currently hold a narrow 51-49 majority in the chamber.
The bill's sponsor, Democratic Senator Tammy Duckworth, initially sought a vote on the same legislation in late February, following a ruling by the Alabama Supreme Court that embryos used in in vitro fertilization (IVF) should be considered children. This ruling threatened access to the treatment, which is used by millions of Americans annually. Republicans also blocked the bill at that time.
In August, Trump stated that if re-elected, he would mandate that either the government or insurance companies cover the cost of IVF, a move that shocked his far-right Christian allies, who view the treatment as controversial. "We want to produce babies in this country, right?" Trump said during a town hall-style campaign event in La Crosse, Wisconsin.
"Republicans had an opportunity to back up their rhetoric with action when we voted earlier this year, and nearly all of them failed," Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a speech on Monday. "I hope tomorrow will bring a different result."
