Senate Democrats are attempting to place Republicans in a bind as Senate Majority Chief Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) plans to carry one other vote on in vitro fertilization entry this week, a transfer that comes after former President Trump’s name for insurance coverage firms to cowl such therapies divided his supporters.
Democrats have felt the wind at their again on the topic for months, and Trump’s name is prompting a second vote on the identical invoice in a matter of months.
“As you probably noted, abortion and choice were leadoff topics in the debate, and former President Trump went to great lengths to assert himself as a champion of IVF, which came as a surprise to many people,” Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Sick.) mentioned. “I think it’s important to give a record vote on the issue. This is going to be a major issue in the campaign.”
“It’s just the issue du jour, so I don’t take that very seriously,” Durbin mentioned, placing it in the identical class as Trump’s name to remove taxes on suggestions.
Trump and Republicans for months have tried to rebuff the Democratic narrative that the GOP doesn’t help IVF. They’re additionally fast to notice that the set off for the nationwide IVF dialogue was a court docket in Alabama — not any GOP-led legislature — and that the state’s Republican-led Legislature virtually was fast to go a legislative repair.
However that hasn’t stopped Democrats from tying IVF in with their months-long push on reproductive rights that has tripped up Republicans.
“It’s interesting that IVF is even an issue because Republicans have always been for more babies,” Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) mentioned. “Republicans didn’t start this.”
Solely two Republicans — Sens. Susan Collins (Maine) and Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) — voted with Democrats in June when Sen. Tammy Duckworth’s (D-Sick.) proposal got here to the ground, and senators are extensively anticipating an identical end result subsequent week.
Nonetheless, some Democrats see Trump’s newest stance as a possibility to realize floor on the concept of mandating protection for IVF therapies with Republicans within the chamber and imagine the previous president could possibly be the choose to unlock help, even when it doesn’t change the vote rely subsequent week
“Donald Trump coming out of the blue and saying this is something he supports might give us that opportunity,” Sen. Tim Kaine (R-Va.) mentioned.
Whereas that chance virtually definitely gained’t be within the coming days, it could possibly be the case if Trump wins in November — and at first blush, many Republicans are usually not shunning the concept of mandating insurance coverage protection of the observe indirectly form or type.
The truth is, various Republicans from throughout the ideological spectrum are signaling openness to the chance, although they warning that all of it comes right down to how any particular invoice is written.
“I’ve thought about this. I agree with President Trump. It’s an expensive medical procedure,” mentioned Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), a member of GOP management. “It’s something that bears looking into.”
The likes of Sens. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.) and Mullin — all ardent Trump backers — imagine the concept is prudent and that it’s a combat value having if the ex-president as soon as once more occupies the White Home.
“I’m very open to that. I’d be a hypocrite if I wasn’t. I think most of us feel that way,” Cramer mentioned, cautioning that the Senate GOP convention has not mentioned Trump’s name en masse or the anticipated vote since they returned from the August recess final week.
Nonetheless, there are some Republicans who’ve made clear they’re lower than enthused with a authorities or insurance coverage mandate.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) indicated he doesn’t again the plan “because there’s no end to that” and pressed that he would favor a means-tested tax credit score as a substitute.
Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) advised reporters this week he’s a “little bit hesitant” on the concept of a mandate, particularly as Congress stares down the expiration of the 2018 tax cuts and should cope with these extra instantly earlier than coping with find out how to pay for any such IVF protection.
As leaders know, it’s a degree of rivalry within the convention.
“The mandate part of it is … a challenging issue for lots of reasons,” mentioned Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), who’s operating to develop into the highest Senate Republican subsequent yr. “Not the least of which, what it does to insurance costs. We put a lot of mandates on insurance companies as it is already. We’ll have, I assume, a fairly robust conversation about that.”
Democrats, although, are usually not holding their breath — particularly with regards to Trump through the peak of election season.
“I think they’re all waiting for Trump to tell them what to do,” Duckworth advised The Hill, likening it to the bipartisan border safety deal he helped kill. “I don’t think any of them are willing or brave enough to go out on their own on this.”
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