Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) released the following statement reaffirming his support for continued nationwide access to in vitro fertilization (IVF) and rejecting Senate Democrats’ baseless, calculated attempts to scare the American people through a ‘Summer of Show Votes.’

“Like many Americans, my wife and I struggled for years to have children,” said Sen. Mullin. “Thankfully, IVF and other fertility services have helped countless couples fulfill their dreams of starting a family, including my own. Despite Senate Democrats’ desperate attempts to politicize this issue and fear-monger to voters, the reality is, not a single Senate Republican opposes in vitro fertilization, in fact, we emphatically support it. I will not participate in Chuck Schumer’s latest political ‘Show Vote’ exercise.” 

Background:

• On Wednesday, all Senate Republicans joined U.S. Senators Katie Britt and Ted Cruz’s statement expressing support for continued nationwide access to IVF.
• Senator Mullin also joined Senator Rick Scott’s resolution expressing support for starting and growing a family through IVF. 
• This week, Senate Democrats blocked Senator Ted Cruz’s request for unanimous consent to pass S. 4369, the IVF Protection Act. 
• In a HELP Committee hearing last week, Senator Mullin shared his family’s personal experience with struggling to have children.
• According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 1,000,000 children were born in the United States between 1987 and 2015 using assisted reproductive technologies, including IVF. In 2021, more than 97,000 children were born using IVF and other fertility services.

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