Georgia Democrats, Health Care Advocates Call Out Trump and Georgia Republicans’ Threats to IVF Access

Today, Georgia Democrats and reproductive care advocates held a press call to sound the alarm on Donald Trump and Georgia Republicans’ attacks on reproductive freedom putting IVF at risk. Speakers discussed how Donald Trump overturning Roe v. Wade led directly to families losing access to IVF in Alabama, and how, thanks to Georgia Republicans’ anti-choice agenda, similar attacks on reproductive care are on the table in Georgia if Trump gets a second term.

Watch and download a recording of the event here.

“Ever since Donald Trump’s right wing Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, Republicans around the country have had free rein to attack reproductive freedom. And that’s exactly what we’re seeing with bills that we’re confronting down here to eliminate the ability to use abortion-inducing pills and with, of course, the stark IVF decision in Alabama. But first and foremost, we saw it even before Dobbs was decided with Republicans here at the Georgia State Capitol passing the near-total abortion ban that Georgians are now living with,” said State Senator Elena Parent. “We would not have to face all these questions, worries, threats to reproductive health had Donald Trump not won the presidency and installed carefully selected judges vetted for their views on Roe v. Wade. This erosion of rights lies right at the foot of Donald Trump. I and my fellow Democrats in the state legislature will continue fighting every day, morning, noon and night, to protect Georgians’ reproductive freedom. But we are going to need allies in the White House who can help us. We must re-elect Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, to continue working to codify the protections of Roe v. Wade into law and prevent these restrictions once and for all.”

“What we’ve seen since Georgia’s six-week abortion ban passed in 2019 is attempts to roll back our access to medication abortion, making it even more difficult and more aversive for our patients to access those medications. What we’ve seen since 2019 is further advancement of discriminatory policy, prioritizing religious freedom and that right to discriminate over real patients and families. And what we’ve seen is a continued push towards defining personhood from the moment of conception. So make no mistake: IVF is not safe in Georgia. A six week abortion ban was not enough for our extremist Republican colleagues… for some Republicans, this has only just begun,” said State Rep. Dr. Michelle Au. “Therefore, never has it been more important to ensure that we don’t have extremist anti-choice leaders untethered to reason elected to the presidency building a federal legislature and a judiciary hell-bent on taking away what little rights we have left. Never has it been more important to elect pro-choice Democrats to the state legislature, which is the forum where the fight for reproductive rights is waged and won and hopefully built back up again.”

“We’ve seen the fear and anger and confusion that countless Georgians have faced as they navigate the obstacles that Republican politicians have placed between them and the health care that they need. A few weeks back, Georgians watched as our neighbors in Alabama lost access to IVF. This is the reality of so many people across Alabama, and if we let it, it will be the reality of so many people across the United States of America, because from abortion care to IVF we don’t know what could be next,” said Jaylen Black of Planned Parenthood Southeast Advocates. “And it doesn’t have to be this way. For Georgians, there’s only one way to guarantee that Trump and his extreme anti choice allies can’t continue their attacks on reproductive freedom. And that’s to keep them out of the White House in November. Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are the only candidates who are fighting to codify the protections of Roe v. Wade and protect the freedom to control our own health care decisions that are at the ballot box.”

###