In the News

House Democrats are considering an effort to force a vote on legislation that would codify the right to fertility services, Axios has learned.

Why it matters: It's part of an effort by Democrats in both chambers of Congress to put Republicans on the spot on reproductive rights as the 2024 election heats up.

Democrats have repeatedly looked to IVF as an ideal issue on which to hammer vulnerable Republicans.

What we're hearing: Democrats are discussing a discharge petition on Rep. Susan Wild's (D-Pa.) Access to Family Building Act, according to a House Democrat and two other Democratic sources familiar with the matter.

The bill would provide a statutory right to assisted reproductive technology such as in vitro fertilization and allow the Justice Department to sue states and localities that attempt to restrict IVF services.

Senate Democrats are planning a vote Thursday on the Senate version of the IVF bill sponsored by Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.).

By the numbers: The discharge petition would require 218 votes to bypass House Republican leadership and force a vote on the House floor.

That's a hurdle Democrats have repeatedly failed to clear as they struggled to get Republicans to sign onto discharge petitions on gun control, foreign aid, the debt ceiling and more.

But in addition to 170 House Democrats, Wild's bill is co-sponsored by four Republicans: Reps. Marc Molinaro (R-N.Y.), Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) and Anthony D'Esposito (R-N.Y.), all of whom represent districts President Biden won in 2020.

Those four Republicans and others in swing districts are likely to face pressure to sign onto the petition, according to Democratic sources.

Between the lines: Democrats launched a similar discharge petition last week on legislation to protect access to contraception, but it is unlikely to succeed.

It had been signed by 199 of the House's 213 Democrats as of Wednesday, but no Republicans.

Republican leadership has long discouraged their members from signing onto discharge petitions to avoid handing control of the floor to Democrats.

What's next: Wild and Reps. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) and Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-Calif.) are holding a press conference on Thursday morning "to address the need for IVF codification," according to an advisory from Wild's office.

"Rep. Wild, the House lead of the bipartisan bill that would enact federal protections for IVF, and her colleagues will push Speaker Johnson to take up a vote on the legislation, and address possible next steps," it said.

Go deeper

Former President Trump speaks at a rally Sunday in Las Vegas. Photo: Brandon Bell/Getty Images

Former President Trump is set to return to Capitol Hill on Thursday for the first time since leaving office, with plans for strategy sessions with House and Senate Republicans about the upcoming election and his 2025 agenda.

Why it matters: The meetings are part of an effort to boost GOP ranks in Congress and help Trump get a jump on his policy agenda should he win back the White House in November.

A House vote on holding Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt of Congress is in severe danger of being pulled by GOP leadership, Axios has learned.

Why it matters: Canceling the vote would be a letdown for conservatives who have pounded the table for the vote — and showcases the weakness of Speaker Mike Johnson's (R-La.) thin House majority.

https://www.axios.com/2024/06/12/house-democrats-ivf-discharge-petition