WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, as the Senate considers the Democrats’ partisan bill on in vitro fertilization (IVF), Senator Rick Scott delivered remarks on the Senate floor making clear his total support for IVF, which his youngest daughter is currently using to grow her family, and highlighting his bicameral resolution supporting Americans who are starting and growing families through IVF.

During his speech, Senator Scott also announced his work to draft legislation to help individuals and families better plan and pay for medical expenses, like IVF, by decoupling Health Savings Accounts (HSA) from high-deductible health plans, and increasing the current contribution limits on HSAs. More details on this legislation will be released in the coming weeks.

Read Senator Scott’s remarks as prepared for delivery below:

Mr. President, in vitro fertilization, or IVF as most of us call it, has brought beautiful babies to so many families.

IVF is a wonderful thing that enables so many Americans struggling with infertility to have children and start a family. 

For me, it’s personal. My youngest daughter has been undergoing IVF treatments to grow her family. But she is just one of countless Floridians and Americans using IVF to grow their families and bring life into the world. 

While IVF remains available in all 50 states and there isn’t any credible threat to that, I believe it is important for the Senate to make clear our unwavering support for current and aspiring parents using IVF to start and grow their families.

We ought to celebrate Americans trying to grow their families. I am proud to lead a resolution in the Senate doing just that.

My resolution would:

Affirm the desire of parents trying to conceive a child to start or grow a family;

Express sympathy for the millions of parents experiencing infertility issues as they strive to start or grow a family, and recognizes the immense physical, emotional, and psychological toll of pursuing medical assistance for infertility, including IVF;

Cherishes the millions of children born through the use of medical assistance to overcome infertility, including through IVF;

Recognizes that medical assistance for infertility, including IVF, is and remains legal in all States and territories in the United States;

Affirms that laws enacted by Congress should promote the sanctity of human life and support the development and growth of families in the United States;

Encourages further clinical research to improve outcomes for parents seeking medical assistance to overcome infertility as they strive to start or grow a family; and 

Supports State legislative and regulatory actions to establish health, safety, and ethical standards for medical facilities offering assisted reproductive technologies, including in vitro fertilization.

Now, let me take a moment to clarify a few things about the bill that Democrats are pushing this week.

First, let’s be very clear… There is not a single state in the country that has outlawed IVF or that has expressed any interest in outlawing IVF. 

This is just empty fear-mongering by Democrats who would rather push unnecessary bills like this than take meaningful action to secure our border, improve our economy, or hold the radical members of the Biden administration accountable for their lawless conduct.

I think everyone here supports IVF, which is great because Democrats are typically advocating for unlimited abortion, not more babies which is what we get with IVF.  

If a state takes action against IVF, I will be the first to condemn it. That isn’t happening.

Mr./ Madam President – this is ugly politics at its worst.

I have the resolution I just outlined, and I appreciate the work Senators Cruz and Britt have done on this important topic.

Republicans support IVF and the Democrats know that. 

But when we vote against this unnecessary bill, that is exactly what they will say when they attack us.

We will not accept this gross purity test from the radical left, and the American people, who are much smarter than Democrats hope they are, see right through this.

Let’s get to work solving real problems like our wide open border and the skyrocketing inflation crushing American families.

That is the important work the Senate should have been focused on these last two weeks instead of taking political show votes for Democrats to shamelessly lie to the American people and themselves. 

But if Democrats insist on taking action that impacts the ability to undergo IVF treatments, I have a proposal for them. 

We should help individuals and families better plan and pay for medical expenses, like IVF, by decoupling Health Savings Accounts from high-deductible health plans, increasing the current contribution limits on HSAs, and demand more upfront price transparency and outcome data from providers to allow families to easily shop for services to drive down costs through market forces.

I am working on a bill right now to allow every individual and family to better plan and pay for medical expenses, such as IVF, by expanding eligibility for Health Savings Accounts and increasing the current contribution limits on those HSAs.

Helping folks financially plan as they try to expand their families is smart and the type of commonsense action that families in all of our states expect from Washington.

They want action, not partisan politics or fear mongering, and the legislation I am drafting will be hugely beneficial to current and aspiring parents looking at IVF as a way to grow their family,.

I hope Senator Schumer and every Democrat will commit to working with me on this and passing a good bill that will truly help countless families hoping to bring more babies into this world.

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