Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) said Sunday on ABC’s “This Week” that Republicans are prioritizing “embryo rights” over women’s rights in the United States.
A partial transcription follows:
Martha Raddatz: What did you think when you saw the Alabama Supreme Court decision?
Duckworth: Unfortunately, I wasn’t surprised at all. I’ve been talking about this in 2018, when it was very clear that the Republican Party was working to eliminate women’s reproductive rights. I said that if Neil Gorsuch was appointed to the Supreme Court, if Amy Coney Barrett was appointed to the Supreme Court, our society would decline. Roe vs. Wade, even back in 2018, I said IVF was next. She is here for in vitro fertilization. Unfortunately, I wasn’t surprised. While I am shocked by the families who are starting families, I am not at all surprised.
RADDATZ: Just to be clear, this decision does not outlaw IVF, but it definitely makes IVF more complicated. Can you freeze that embryo? What do you do with embryos that are no longer used?
Duckworth: Well, the determination that a fertilized egg is a child and a human being is very clear. That means, for example, in my case, he had 5 fertilized eggs and 3 were non-viable. If my doctor disposed of them with my consent, that would potentially be considered manslaughter or murder.
Fundamentally, the Republican Party is prioritizing the rights of embryos over women’s rights, and I don’t think that’s something the American people agree with.
Follow Pam Key on Twitter @pamkeyNEN
