Harris-Walz Campaign Tour Highlights IVF as a Key Election Issue

On Friday morning, Vice President Kamala Harris’s campaign hosted a press call addressing “Donald Trump’s Threat to Reproductive Freedom, Including IVF.” The call highlighted key figures like Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, President of Reproductive Freedom for All, Mini Timmaraju, and Alabama’s Latorya Beasley.

This event followed an NBC News interview where Trump claimed that if re-elected, his administration would protect in-vitro fertilization (IVF) and ensure that its costs are covered by insurers. “We are going to be mandating that the insurance companies pay,” he stated.

However, Harris’s supporters are reminding voters of Trump’s historical opposition to IVF and reproductive rights. Warren emphasized that a national law is necessary to guarantee IVF protection, which she says Trump opposes. “Anyone who cares about IVF will vote for Kamala Harris for president,” she asserted. A CBS News poll from March shows that 86% of Americans believe IVF should be legal.

At the press call, Beasley shared her own IVF struggles after the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos are legally children, preventing her from proceeding with her embryo transfer. “I was personally harmed by Donald Trump’s attacks on IVF,” she said, lamenting the halt to her family planning.

In a proactive move, the Harris-Walz campaign also announced a reproductive freedom bus tour scheduled to begin on September 3 in Palm Beach, Florida. Alongside notable speakers such as Senator Amy Klobuchar, the tour aims to engage voters and discuss Harris and Governor Tim Walz’s commitment to restoring Roe v. Wade protections.

Throughout this tour, various advocates, including Beasley, will join to share their stories, emphasizing the urgency of reproductive rights. “This election is about freedom,” said Julie Chavez Rodriguez, the campaign’s manager. “We’ll be highlighting how our vision starkly contrasts with Trump’s agenda.”

The bus tour plans to cover at least 50 stops in significant states, addressing both liberal and conservative areas. They will outline their plans regarding abortion, birth control, and IVF policies, directly countering Trump’s stance.

While Trump attempts to distance himself from measures that could limit reproductive rights, both Timmaraju and Warren argue that his platform poses a real threat to IVF and abortion access nationwide. “Donald Trump’s own platform could effectively ban IVF and abortion,” commented spokesperson Sarafina Chitika. “There’s only one candidate in this race who trusts women and supports their healthcare choices: Vice President Kamala Harris.”