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  • Zachariah@lemmy.world
    37·
    2 months ago

    Republicans on Tuesday blocked a bill that would have created a right to access in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatments and mandated that insurance plans cover the practice, deriding the vote as a political ploy.

    Senators voted against advancing the bill, 51-44, marking the second time Democrats have sought to put Republicans on the record on the contentious issue. Sixty votes were needed to open debate on the measure.

    Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) voted with every Democrat and independent.

    Sens. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Joe Manchin (I-W.Va.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) and Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) did not vote.

    GOP senators derided the Democratic legislation, authored by Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), as nothing more than a show vote, accusing Democrats of misrepresenting Republicans’ views on IVF.

    Ahead of the vote, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) tried to pass via voice vote a competing bill he and Sen. Katie Britt (R-Ala.) introduced earlier this year that would withhold Medicaid funding from states that ban IVF, but it was blocked by Democrats.

    • jumjummy@lemmy.world
      13·
      2 months ago

      Fuck anyone who complains about the “Democrats not getting anything done” when these literal obstructionist GOP politicians have blocked any progress. Absolutely need a complete Blue wave for President, House, and Senate to get actual progress done.

    • NocturnalMorning@lemmy.world
      4·
      2 months ago

      that would withhold Medicaid funding from states that ban IVF, but it was blocked by Democrats.

      Withholding Medicaid funding doesn’t seem like a great idea. But on the whole being against banning IVF seems like a good idea. Am I missing something?

      • partial_accumen@lemmy.world
        19·
        2 months ago

        that would withhold Medicaid funding from states that ban IVF, but it was blocked by Democrats.

        Withholding Medicaid funding doesn’t seem like a great idea. But on the whole being against banning IVF seems like a good idea. Am I missing something?

        Republicans don’t want to secure IVF and don’t want to pay for Medicaid. GOP state’s would happily block IVF to get Medicaid defunded.

        • FuglyDuck@lemmy.worldEnglish
          6·
          2 months ago

          they want to turn their states into shitholes, and a few have succeeded in that. I’m all for the brain drain that’ll happen. especially if those funds got diverted to blue states.

          • partial_accumen@lemmy.world
            1·
            2 months ago

            But that’s not what that statement says.

            I read the OP again. I read your statement again. I’m not seeing a different meaning than the one I came away with and commented on originally.

            What are you saying the statement says that my comments contradict?

            • NocturnalMorning@lemmy.world
              1·
              2 months ago

              The statement said withhold Medicaid for states banning IVF. Aka if you ban IVF, the bill would punish the state by withholding Medicaid. Seems to be the opposite of what Republicans want with IVF.

              • partial_accumen@lemmy.world
                1·
                2 months ago

                The statement said withhold Medicaid for states banning IVF. Aka if you ban IVF, the bill would punish the state by withholding Medicaid. Seems to be the opposite of what Republicans want with IVF.

                I see your confusion: (many) Republicans want to ban IVF.

                Look at the title of this post we’re in. “Republicans block Senate Democrats’ IVF bill”. That bill protects IVF, and the republicans shot it down.

  • gravitas_deficiency@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    35·
    2 months ago

    I was 100% expecting them to do this, but I am nonetheless happy that the Nationalist Christians are engaging in this level of political self-sabotage.

  • TechLich@lemmy.world
    41·
    2 months ago

    Not American, or really knowledgeable about it but from the outside, I think this looks like ordinary politicking.

    IVF is a proxy war for abortion. Dems want the talking point that abortion bans hurt/block IVF. Republicans/Trump want to remove that talking point by saying they love IVF “we want more babies right?” and will support laws to protect it as a separate and unrelated issue to abortion.

    Dems put forward a bill that not only protects it but makes insurance companies pay for it. Trump is fine with that because it benefits him but Republicans in Congress get big money from insurance lobbyists and so they can’t vote for it. They also have fears that they’ll piss off their homophobic supporters by making them pay for something the gays might use (insurance costs will go up to help someone who isn’t me!").

    Republicans put forward another bill that protects IVF without hurting their insurance company buddies but the Dems block it. Republicans then have to vote against the IVF bill and the Dems can now say “see! They really don’t care about reproductive rights at all!”

    Feels a bit like nobody involved actually cares about IVF at all and just wants votes and lobbyist money.

    In case this take comes across too centrist: Republicans and Trump are really quite shit.