Rep. Byron Donalds backs federal protections for IVF treatment

Rep. Byron Donalds, Florida Republican, endorsed Sunday protecting access to in vitro fertilization, after the Alabama Supreme Court threw the reproductive treatment into jeopardy by ruling earlier this month that frozen embryos are children.

The support from the conservative underscores the swell of calls from elected Republicans to protect IVF after former President Donald Trump called on state lawmakers to pass protections.

“I feel I could broadly support that,” Mr. Donalds said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “Because, like I said, IVF is something that is so critical to a lot of couples. It helps them breed great families.”

With access to abortion expected to be front and center once again in elections this fall, Democrats say the IVF ruling fuels their strategy to go on offense on women’s reproductive issues as some facilities were forced to pause IVF because of the state court’s ruling.

Mr. Donalds also said “embryos should be protected as life” but sidestepped whether that means they should have the same legal rights as people.

“[IVF] should be protected. I agree with President Trump on that,” Mr. Donalds said. “But when we get into these conversations. It’s important to delineate from what just one judge might say versus what a legislature and a governor will decide when they go through the legislative process.”