Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., attends a hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington on July 11, 2023. (Stars and Stripes)
WASHINGTON — Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., is asking President-elect Donald Trump to use his influence among Republicans to back legislation that would expand insurance coverage of in vitro fertilization for military personnel.
The Army veteran made the request in a letter to Trump on Wednesday, writing she feared Republican leaders could strike provisions providing Tricare coverage of IVF from the final version of the 2025 National Defense Authorization Act.
The Senate and House versions of the annual defense policy bill remove restrictions on IVF treatments for service members and provide them with the same level of coverage as members of Congress and federal employees.
But a compromise bill is still being negotiated and Duckworth warned resistance from some conservatives could jeopardize the inclusion of IVF provisions in the final legislation.
Two Republicans, Reps. Matt Rosendale of Montana and Josh Brecheen of Oklahoma, urged leaders of the House and Senate Armed Services committees last month to drop the measures because IVF “leads to destruction of innocent human life.”
Trump has expressed support for the fertility treatment, declaring himself “the father of IVF” in October.
He promised in August that if he was elected, “your government will pay for, or your insurance company will be mandated to pay for, all costs associated with IVF treatment.”
Duckworth reminded Trump of that vow on Wednesday, calling on him to “act now to keep your clear and explicit promise to the American people.”
“As the leader of the Republican Party, it would be appropriate for you to exercise your influence to prevent congressional Republicans from undermining your ability to govern by your own ‘promises made, promises kept’ motto before your second term even begins,” she wrote.
A single cycle of IVF can cost between $15,000 and $20,000, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
The treatment became a contentious issue on Capitol Hill this year after Alabama’s Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos, which are sometimes used in IVF, should be considered children.
For Duckworth, expanding access to IVF is personal. She gave birth to two daughters via IVF after losing her legs in a helicopter crash in Iraq and struggling with infertility for more than a decade.
Lawmakers and advocates have said service members have more trouble conceiving than the general population due to hazardous conditions during service and significant time away from their partners.
Congress is expected to vote on the National Defense Authorization Act in the coming weeks. The legislation specifies the defense budget and sets priorities for the Pentagon.
