House Speaker Mike Johnson declined to answer whether the intentional abortion of embryos during an in vitro fertilization (IVF) procedure constitutes murder.
Amid growing dissonance between the Republican Party’s pro-life stance and its expressed support for in vitro fertilization procedures, which intentionally abort embryos, John explained his position in an interview with “CBS Mornings” on Thursday. Asked for clarification.
“In the process, [embryos] Interviewer Tony Dokoupil asked the Speaker: “If you believe that life begins at conception, at fertilization, and I know you do, do you consider that murder?” told.
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House Speaker Mike Johnson could not discuss the IVF procedure
The question upset Mr Johnson, who said he didn’t know enough about IVF to comment, despite having spoken out strongly against Reiff in the past.
Mr Johnson responded: “That’s a problem we have to deal with.” “This is a brave new world. I think he was in the early 1970s when IVF was invented.”
He added: “We of course support the sanctity of life and we support IVF and full access to it.”
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A container containing frozen embryos and sperm stored in liquid nitrogen is removed at a fertility clinic in Fort Myers, Florida. (AP Photo/Lynn Sladke, File)
Republicans are uncomfortable supporting their pro-life rhetoric after the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that destroying a fetus is murder because of its personhood.
In vitro fertilization procedures most often involve artificial fertilization and freezing of multiple embryos. Anything deemed undesirable or no longer needed is discarded or destroyed. Approximately 2.3% of births in the United States are the result of in vitro fertilization.
“A fetus is a ‘child’…without exception based on stage of development, physical location, or other incidental characteristics,” Judge Jay Mitchell wrote in his decision.
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The medical director of Huntsville, PC Reproductive Health watches as a nurse opens an IVF cryopreservation dewar in Madison, Alabama. (Reuters)
State legislatures took immediate action to protect IVF. Some IVF clinics closed their operations after the court’s decision, but some began reopening after states passed laws exempting clinics from liability.
In the aftermath, many Republican leaders made a 180-degree turn from their position that life begins at conception, and despite the intentional destruction of embryos after pregnancy, IVF is fundamentally different from abortion. claimed to be different.
So far, no Republican leader or member of Congress has attempted to articulate a logical rationale for supporting IVF while professing the belief that life begins at conception and must be protected.
Fox News Digital’s Julia Johnson contributed to this report.
