House Republican proposes barring defense funding for IVF, says it’s ‘morally wrong’

Rep. Matt Rosendale (R-Mont.) has proposed banning the use of defense funds for in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatments.

Rosendale introduced an amendment to the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, his office announced Tuesday. The amendment states that the bill would fund “assisted reproductive technology which includes any infertility treatments or technologies, including in vitro fertilization, to ensure that human life is protected.”

“While I feel sorry for couples who cannot have children, the practice of IVF is morally wrong and I refuse to support any legislation that condones its use,” Rosendale said in a statement. “My amendment will defund this practice, which is responsible for destroying the lives of hundreds of thousands of children each year.”

The House is expected to take up a trio of spending bills this week for the fiscal year 2025 government funding process. The measures will allocate resources to the departments of Homeland Security, State, Defense and Foreign Operations.

All of the spending bills were opposed by Democrats during committee, so they will likely face an uphill battle in the Democratic-controlled Senate.

IVF has been in the national spotlight for months after the Alabama Supreme Court ruled in February that frozen embryos were children, prompting many IVF providers to end their services at the time. Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey (R) later signed a bill that protected IVF providers from the ruling.

Rosenberg’s proposed change comes less than two weeks after senators introduced competing bills regarding access to in vitro fertilization.

Democrats blocked a unanimous request from Republicans on access to in vitro fertilization earlier this month, saying the proposed legislation did not go far enough. Senate Republicans then blocked a Democrat-led effort to codify a national right to in vitro fertilization, which was sponsored by Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and Cory Booker (D-N.J. .).

This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story