Several days ago, Donald Trump set the political world on fire by stating that he would create a mandate for insurance companies to cover IVF treatments.
This has created a major buzz in the media and the political world, as well as some friction among Trump supporters in the GOP.
Talking Points…
- Trump wants free IVF treatments
- GOP senators react
- Analysis
During a recent interview, Donald Trump was asked about his position on abortion and pregnancy treatments, such as IVF, which are very expensive and a hot topic in the pro-life and abortion worlds right now. Trump told a rally crowd:
"Under the Trump administration, your government will pay for — or your insurance company will be mandated to pay for — all costs associated with IVF treatment.
"We want more babies, to put it very nicely. And for the same reason, we will also allow new parents to deduct major newborn expenses from their taxes."
This has become a significant topic because Democrats are claiming that the GOP abortion limits would also impact IVF treatments. That is a bit of a stretch, as these treatments have not been targeted at all, but we all know how Democrats work. To that point, a spokesperson for Harris' campaign could not wait to attack Trump on this front, stating:
"Because Trump overturned Roe v. Wade, IVF is already under attack and women's freedoms have been ripped away in states across the country.
"There is only one candidate in this race who trusts women and will protect our freedom to make our own health care decisions: Vice President Kamala Harris."
Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), an establishment Republican who has managed to get inside Trump's inner circle, has rejected Donald Trump's plan, claiming there would be "no end" to the demand for the treatment if Trump puts his plan in play. When asked if he would support Trump on this front, Graham responded:
"No, I wouldn't because there's no end to that.
"I would support a tax credit, means-tested — kind of like we do with children. That makes sense to me to encourage people to have children."
However, Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) supported Trump on this front. When he was asked about Trump's plan, he responded:
"Well, all Republicans, to my knowledge, support IVF, in the Congress. And there's no state that prohibits or regulates IVF in a way that makes it inaccessible. It is expensive for many couples. I understand that. So, it's something I'm open to, that most Republicans would be open to.
"But in principle, supporting couples who are trying to use IVF or other fertility treatments, I don't think is something that's controversial at all."
So far, Democrats have been very crafty about legislation to support IVF, including it in other legislation that would support the Democrat agenda rather than a solo bill to cover IVF. It was done because Schumer knew that the GOP would reject the legislation, which then allowed the Democrats and media to call out Republicans for blocking the legislation, concentrating on the IVF aspect of it rather than the complete bill.
Democrats would love for this election to be about abortion again, but Trump has done a pretty good job of making his position clear. But now, the IVF treatment is being thrown into the mix. My suggestion to Trump would be to sit down with leadership in the House and Senate to discuss what legislation would realistically pass, then present that during the election. He should not be making promises that he cannot deliver, so he should offer up something he knows Republicans will support to put pressure on Democrats to back his plan.
