Article Summary –
U.S. Rep. Matt Rosendale is campaigning against federally funded in vitro fertilization (IVF), proposing amendments to defense spending bills to prohibit such funding, though these were rejected by the House Rules Committee. His stance contrasts with other lawmakers, like Rep. Nancy Mace and Sen. Steve Daines, who support IVF, and comes amidst broad Republican efforts to avoid the politically sensitive issue after the Alabama Supreme Court recognized frozen embryos as living humans. Despite this, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s push for legislation to make IVF a national right faced opposition from most Senate Republicans, though they claim to support IVF access in principle.
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U.S. Rep. Matt Rosendale is challenging federally funded in vitro fertilization while his Republican caucus avoids this controversial issue in reproductive politics.
On Thursday, Rosendale displayed posters outside his office claiming “IVF Destroys More Life than Planned Parenthood.” In June, he proposed amendments to defense spending bills to stop federal funding for in vitro fertilization. These amendments were rejected by the House Rules Committee.
Rosendale, representing Montana’s eastern U.S. House district, takes this stand while other lawmakers avoid state-level opposition to IVF, which spiked in February when the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos are living humans under state law.
“If you believe life begins at conception, you can’t support taxpayer dollars for IVF, which is estimated to destroy or freeze 700,000 embryos annually,” Rosendale told Montana Free Press.
House Republicans, including Rosendale’s House Freedom Caucus, resist during an election year already fraught with abortion politics. Rosendale isn’t seeking re-election.
“I’ll do everything to protect IVF. Period. End of story,” Rep. Nancy Mace, R-South Carolina, said on X, formerly Twitter, responding to Rosendale’s amendment to ban IVF funding in the Department of Defense budget.
Mace aims to restrict Medicaid funding to states banning in vitro fertilization.
Rep. Ryan Zinke of Montana’s western district tweeted in March, “IVF makes parenthood possible for many families, I support continued access to the treatment.”
In the Senate, Democrats use their narrow majority to advance IVF legislation, challenging Republicans. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on June 13 called a vote to make IVF a national right. All but two Senate Republicans — Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine — voted against. Montana’s Democratic Sen. Jon Tester supported the bill. Republican Sen. Steve Daines opposed it.
Daines supports IVF, spokesperson Rachel Dumke told MTFP, as do other Republicans who voted against the bill.
“He’s staging show votes to fear monger,” Dumke said of Schumer. “Daines supports IVF and will continue to do so, as do all Senate Republicans.”
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