Harris' camp slams Trump’s ‘lies’, accuses him of copying Democratic IVF legislation and family policies

WASHINGTON, DC: The Harris campaign pounced on Donald Trump's recent comments about in-vitro fertilization (IVF), accusing the former president of spreading falsehoods.

Trump claimed on Thursday, August 29, that if re-elected, he would mandate the federal government or insurance companies to cover the costs of IVF. This reportedly mirrored several Democratic initiatives, including bills that Senate Republicans blocked earlier this year.

Kamala Harris's campaign responded by claiming that his policies could ultimately undermine access to IVF and abortion nationwide.

Donald Trump's IVF proposal and similarities to Democrat policies

Donald Trump's promise to make IVF more accessible by requiring the federal government or insurance companies to cover the costs has raised eyebrows. Critics have claimed the proposal echoes several Democratic bills that aimed to expand access to reproductive healthcare, including IVF. 

In June, Senate Republicans blocked legislation that would have provided similar protections and support for IVF.

Trump also vowed to help parents with newborns by allowing them to deduct expenses related to childcare from their taxes. According to Raw Story, this also resembles a component of Harris's economic plan that seeks to alleviate financial burdens on families.

The Harris campaign was quick to respond to Trump's comments and issued a statement Thursday evening. "Donald Trump's own platform could effectively ban IVF and abortion nationwide," the campaign declared.

"Trump lies as much if not more than he breathes, but voters aren't stupid. Because Trump overturned Roe v Wade, IVF is already under attack and women's freedoms have been ripped away in states across the country," it added.

As reported by the National Center for Reproductive Medicine (NCRM) last month, the Republican National Committee's new platform paves the way for the recognition of fetal personhood. Critics say this would directly conflict with both abortion and IVF.

Trump's announcement regarding IVF came during what The New Republic described as a "chaotic, self-aggrandizing speech in Potterville, Michigan." The speech—delivered at Alro Steel—had already been partially revealed in a pre-speech interview with NBC.

Trump framed his IVF proposal as part of a broader pro-family agenda. "Because we want more babies, to put it nicely," he told the crowd. "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, we’re pro-family, nobody’s ever said that before."

Kamala Harris's economic plan and the 'Right to IVF Act'

Two weeks before Donald Trump's speech, Kamala Harris unveiled her economic plan that includes similar measures aimed at supporting families. One of the key components of her plan is the restoration of the expanded child tax credit, which provided up to $3,600 per child during the Covid-19 pandemic.

While this credit expired at the end of 2021, Harris has pledged to bring it back and expand it further. According to The Wall Street Journal, the plan would also support a new expansion of the tax credit by offering up to $6,000 in total relief for middle- and low-income families during the first year of a child's life.

Meanwhile, Democrats in the Senate have been pushing for the "Right to IVF Act," a bill designed to protect the use of assisted reproductive technology. The bill would also expand access to IVF through insurance coverage and provide additional support for military members and veterans. However, Senate Republicans blocked the bill.

Bloomberg's Steven Dennis reported that two other bills—one in the House and one in the Senate—also aim to mandate insurance coverage for IVF and other infertility treatments. These bills have garnered the support of about 25 House members and four Senators, all of whom are Democrats.

On Thursday, Trump claimed to have been "in favor of IVF right from the beginning." However, this contrasts sharply with the reality that many hard-right Republicans often equate IVF with abortion.

In his interview with NBC News on Thursday, Trump reiterated his support for IVF. "Well, as you know, I was always for IVF right from the beginning, as soon as we heard about it, it's fertilization, and it's helping women and men and families, but it's helping women able to have a baby," he told the outlet.

He added, "Some have great difficulty, and a lot of them have been very happy with the results as you know, and what we're doing, and we're doing this because we just think it's great. And we need great children, beautiful children in our country. We actually need them. And we are going to be under the Trump administration, we are going to be paying for that treatment. So we are paying for that treatment, or we're going to be mandating that the insurance company pay."