In a move that has sparked controversy among conservatives and anti-abortion advocates, President Donald Trump has expressed his intention to broaden the accessibility of in-vitro fertilization (IVF).
Critics argue that this approach is misguided and conflicts with the sanctity of life.
The White House, under Trump's administration, unveiled plans last Thursday to make IVF more affordable, aiming to assist more women and families in their quest to have children. "Because we want more babies, to put it very nicely," Trump stated. "And for this same reason, we will also allow new parents to deduct major newborn expenses from their taxes, so that parents that have a beautiful baby will be able, so were pro family. But the IVF treatments are expensive."
According to Western Journal, the White House announced a partnership aimed at reducing the cost of fertility medications. The fact sheet revealed, GONAL-F, a commonly used fertility medication, will be made available to women purchasing directly from TrumpRx.gov at a discount equal to 796% of the deal price.
It further stated that women with low and middle incomes (those earning below 550% of the Federal poverty level) would receive an additional discount totaling 2,320% of the deal price when purchasing from TrumpRx.gov.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services estimate that women could save up to $2,200 per cycle of fertility drugs due to this deal, a significant reduction for drugs that often cost over $5,000.
While the White House emphasized that this initiative is part of Trump's effort to help women have more children, not everyone was in agreement. Pastor Rich Lusk took to social media to express his concerns, stating, Trump is right that we need to raise birth rates. He continued, He is dead wrong to encourage the use of IVF to do it. The way IVF is normally carried out results in dead babies. IVF kills more babies each year than abortion.
Pastor Brian Sauv echoed Lusk's sentiments, stating, Mr. President, not only is IVF a wicked practice it is not the solution to our national birth rate.
The Foundation to Abolish Abortion also weighed in on the issue, reposting footage of Trump speaking on the matter and writing, IVF as commonly practiced promotes the intentional destruction of preborn babies while in their earliest stages of development."
The organization called on Christians to pray for Trump to protect preborn babies rather than promoting practices that involve selective aborting, discarding, and indefinite freezing of preborn babies.
End Abortion Now, another anti-abortion group, highlighted the ethical concerns associated with IVF, stating that the process reduces human life to a commodity and discards unused frozen embryos, effectively leading to the loss of potential life. The group also pointed out the eugenic implications of IVF, which allows for the selection of "perfect" children while discarding the unwanted ones.
Despite Trump's commendable efforts to protect life, including his role in the overturning of Roe v. Wade, his support for IVF has raised eyebrows among conservatives. Critics argue that this is not a cause his administration should champion, given the ethical and moral implications associated with the practice.
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