Ohio Sen. and Republican vice presidential candidate J.D. Vance missed a Senate vote Tuesday to advance a bill that would federally protect access to in vitro fertilization (IVF).
Republicans once again rejected the bill. Democrats pushed for protections for reproductive health procedures after the Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade in 2022, which ended the constitutional right to abortion. Tuesday’s bill would have protected access to IVF and required insurance companies to cover the procedure and other fertility treatments.
Senators voted 51-44, meaning the measure fell short of the 60-vote threshold needed to overcome a filibuster. Two Republicans, Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski and Maine Sen. Susan Collins, joined Democrats in supporting the bill. In June, Republicans also blocked the measure from advancing.
Vance appears to have attended a campaign rally in Sparta, Michigan, on Tuesday instead of voting.
Photo by Allison Joyce/Getty Images
Besides Vance, four other senators did not vote Tuesday: Cory Booker, a Democrat from New Jersey; Joe Manchin, an independent from West Virginia; Mike Rounds, a Republican from South Dakota; and Thomas Tillis, a Republican from North Carolina.
Former President Donald Trump has said he supports IVF protections and has pledged to make the procedure free for all Americans if re-elected in November. Newsweek contacted the Trump campaign by email for further comment.
Some Republican lawmakers called the bill that was defeated Tuesday a political stunt, including Utah Sen. Mitt Romney, who told Politico the measure was “a PR opportunity” that contained “poison pills that Republicans find unacceptable.”
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
