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NWLC Statement on Trump’s IVF Executive Order
Washington, DC – Donald Trump signed an executive order last night seeking to protect access to in-vitro fertilization (IVF) and reduce costs for the treatment.
Fatima Goss Graves, president and CEO of the National Women’s Law Center, released the following statement in response:
“Like the vast majority of people in this country, we, of course, support efforts to make IVF treatment more affordable, accessible, and inclusive. Access to IVF has been threatened precisely because of the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs, which overturned Roe—a decision Trump has continued to celebrate.
“However, the Trump administration’s latest action should provide little comfort to the many people struggling to build families on their own term.
“First, this order once again shows that the Trump administration will blatantly exclude anyone who doesn’t fit into their narrow and dated stereotypes. It talks only about ‘loving and longing mothers and fathers,’ excluding LGBTQI+ couples and single people who also rely on IVF to build their families. This suggests that their plan will ultimately restrict the types of families that get built — not at all a pro-IVF position.
“Second, the executive order is designed to make us forget that this administration is committed to implementing its Project 2025 agenda, which includes granting legal rights to fetuses and embryos. Taking this extreme measure could severely restrict access to IVF, something that already happened in Alabama because of the Dobbs decision.
“Third, this administration has repeatedly attacked access to health care, including by endorsing a draconian House budget that slashes Medicaid funding, driving up costs and disproportionately harming underserved women and families.
“So no, President Trump deserves absolutely no credit for this executive order. This order advances a narrow view of family and reinforces the belief that only some people are deserving of health care.”
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