Despite rhetoric, Ted Can-Cruz no friend of IVF
By Mike Killalea, NSD president
Ted Can-Cruz today raves about his support for in vitro fertilization, but he cannot escape the contradiction of favoring IVF while condemning abortion. IVF frequently results in the loss of fetuses.
One of the most vocal opponents of abortion in the Senate, Cruz now says IVF is “entirely life affirming.” (1)
But he declined to support legislation that would protect IVF nationwide. (2)
Can-Cruz’s “enthusiastic” support for so-called “personhood” laws similarly contradicts his alleged support for IVF. “Personhood” goes beyond banning abortion to argue that fetuses (and, in some cases, embryos) are people, with all the same rights as anyone else. Proponents often root their argument in the 14th Amendment, which guarantees equal protection under the law — fetuses, they argue, deserve to be treated on an equal footing with adults. (3,4)
Today, 19 states have some form of personhood provision in their law. (5)
These Can-Cruz-supported personhood measures could impact not only IVF, but access to contraception, from IUDs to over-the-counter emergency contraceptives.(6)
He also declared his support for legislation that would ban abortion from conception. (7)
You can’t have it both ways, Ted.
Vote for Colin Allred in November.
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