Majority Leader Schumer Floor Remarks On The Hard-Right Agenda That Led To The Overturn Of Roe And Republicans’ Responsibility For Attacks On Vital Access To IVF

Washington, D.C. – Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today spoke on the Senate floor regarding the actions of hard-right Republicans that have led to decreased access to reproductive care across the country, including new attempts to limit access to IVF.  Below are Senator Schumer’s remarks, which can also be viewed here:

After last week’s stunningly radical decision by the Alabama Supreme Court jeopardizing IVF access, the United States has become an embarrassment to the world when it comes to reproductive freedom.

Even sadder, this didn’t happen in a vacuum. The hard-right MAGA Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade opened the floodgates for Republicans to force their anti-reproductive freedom, their anti-women agenda down the throats of all Americans.

The decision by the Alabama Supreme Court is as cruel as it is enraging. There are countless people today who have the joy of children solely because of IVF. But now, families have to worry that this option could be taken away.

Make no mistake, Republicans own the consequences of the Alabama Supreme Court’s decision. Republicans know it.

That’s why Republicans are scrambling desperately to backpedal and sound reasonable and supportive of IVF all of a sudden, because they see what they have done.

Republicans in Alabama – even a conservative state like Alabama – are now trying to save face by introducing legislation they claim will protect IVF providers. Even they know how the American people are reacting to this terrible decision, even in Alabama.

Republicans in Florida are now trying to save face by postponing the consideration of anti-abortion legislation. This is the state that said no abortions after 6 weeks, when most women don’t even know they’re pregnant. And by the way, the popularity of the governor has dramatically dropped after he passed that legislation because Floridians don’t like it.

Even Republicans here in Washington are trying to save face by putting off the introduction of national abortion bans, because they recognize the mess they’ve gotten themselves into. Of course they’re not fooling anyone.

Republicans are like the arsonist who set a the house on fire and then said, why is it burning? Amazing, confounding, perturbing, and sad.

Let me be very clear: Republicans spent decades calling for a national abortion ban.

Republicans spent decades packing our courts with hard-right, MAGA, reactionary judges.

So, Republicans deserve zero benefit of the doubt now that the consequences of their agenda are sinking in and even spreading.

Republicans can do and say all they want to try and run away from the truth, but the American people are not buying it. They’re not buying it today, they won’t buy it tomorrow, and they won’t buy it come November.

Democrats remain absolutely committed to doing everything, everything we can to protect women, families, reproductive freedom.

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