Future Forum Urges House Leadership to Advance Legislation Protecting IVF Access
Washington, D.C. – The Future Forum Caucus urged House leadership to support efforts to advance the Access to Family Building Act, led by Congresswoman Susan Wild (PA-07). The bill would establish the right for individuals to access reproductive technology and related medical care, including in vitro fertilization (IVF).
Future Forum members who signed the letter include Co-Chair Rep. Soto, Co-Chair Rep. Stevens, Co-Chair Rep. Allred, Co-Chair Rep. Pettersen, Rep. Auchincloss, Rep. Deluzio, Rep. Frost, Rep. Goldman, Rep. Kennedy, Rep. Kilmer, Rep. Magaziner, Rep. McGarvey, Rep. Meng, Rep. Moulton, Rep. Moskowitz, Rep. Nickel, Rep. Ramirez, Rep, Scholten, Rep. Sorensen, Rep, Sykes, Rep. Tokuda and Rep. Williams.
The Access to Family Building Act would codify an individual’s right to assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs), including in-vitro fertilization (IVF). Under the bill, health care providers and insurers would have the right to provide and cover these services. Access to family planning, including IVF, is an issue that impacts young Americans as they decide, if, when, and how to build a family.
The text of the letter can be found below.
Dear Speaker Johnson, Majority Leader Scalise, Leader Jeffries, Whip Clark,
The overturning of Roe v. Wade stripped reproductive freedom from millions of women, including younger Americans, and has endangered the future of assisted reproductive technology (ART), particularly in vitro fertilization (IVF). We saw this when the Alabama Supreme Court granted legal protections to embryos, treating them as persons under the law, and opening the door for lawsuits against medical professionals involved in IVF procedures.
At the leadership of Representative Susan Wild (PA-07), H.R. 7056 Access to Family Building Act was introduced to establish the right for individuals to access reproductive technology and related medical care, including IVF. In July, a discharge petition was filed to bring H.R. 7056 to the House floor for a vote. As Members of the Future Forum Caucus, we write to respectfully request you urge your respective Caucus Members to sign on to the discharge petition to advance the bill to the floor.
Millions of Americans are affected by infertility every year, with approximately 13.4% of women aged 15 to 49 years old having trouble conceiving. As a result, 12.2% of women have relied on ART to continue growing their families, 99% of which have relied on IVF.
As a caucus dedicated to representing the interests of young Americans, we believe this legislation is a crucial step in ensuring young adults are given the right to grow their families if, when, and how they decide to do so. Thousands of Americans each year, Democrats and Republicans alike, use these critical tools to build their families and are looking to us to protect their rights into the future. For these reasons, it is critical you join the 202 Members in support of this critical legislation and bring the bill to the House Floor for a vote. We appreciate your time and consideration on this crucial issue.
Sincerely,
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About Future Forum Congressional Caucus: Established in 2015, Future Forum is a generational caucus composed of 53 members from a diverse cross-section of the Democratic Caucus who are 50 years and younger. Future Forum represents the next generation of leaders in Congress and includes members of all ideological and identity caucuses in the House, members of the Democratic leadership, and the first Gen Z Member of Congress.
To learn more about Future Forum: https://futureforumcaucus-allred.house.gov/