Winning for Women, a Republican group that works to get women candidates elected, launched an ad campaign Monday highlighting efforts by Republican incumbents to preserve access to in vitro fertilization.
of An advertising campaign is carried out Rep. Lori Chavez DeRemer (R-Ore.) and Rep. Michelle Steele (R-Calif.) are both expected to face tough races in their home districts.
The campaign has highlighted both incumbents' support for the HOPE Act, a bipartisan bill aimed at improving access to fertility treatments, including in vitro fertilization.
The group said the campaign was the first time “a centre-right organisation has launched a large-scale advocacy campaign in favour of IVF”.
“The women we support recognize the profound impact IVF has on millions of women and their families, and despite false claims from the left, they are leading the fight to bring new hope through legislation to make IVF treatment more accessible and affordable,” said Danielle Barrow, Executive Director of Winning for Women.
The ads are part of a $500,000 investment being rolled out across an email, text and phone advocacy platform.
The effort comes as part of an effort by Democrats to attack Republicans on the issue of access to IVF as part of the party's broader messaging on protecting reproductive rights.
Democrats argue that Republicans paved the way for the Alabama Supreme Court's February ruling that frozen embryos can be considered the same as children, which temporarily halted the process in the state.
Many Republicans say a fertilized egg should be considered a child, while others have called for protecting access to in vitro fertilization.
Last month, former President Trump said he wanted the Republican Party to be a “leader” on IVF and vowed his administration would fund IVF treatments.
The Harris campaign fired back, calling the comments disingenuous.
“Donald Trump's own policies could effectively ban IVF and abortion across the country. Trump lies more than he breathes, but voters are not stupid,” the campaign said in a statement.
“Since Trump overturned Roe v. Wade, IVF has already come under attack, stripping women of their freedoms in states across the country. Vice President Kamala Harris is the only candidate in this race who believes in women and will protect their right to make their own health care decisions.”
