Washington: Former US President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has promised to fund in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatments in an apparent attempt to woo women voters, adding that government or insurance companies to pay for IVF fertility treatments in the country. He also said his administration would allow new parents to deduct "major newborn expenses" from their taxes.
In-vitro fertilisation refers to the process of combining eggs and sperm outside of the body to create embryos. Trump's announcement comes in the wake of a controversial ruling by Alabama Supreme Court in February that said embryos created through IVF should be considered children, sparking national backlash.
"I'm announcing today in a major statement that under the Trump administration, your government will pay for, or your insurance company will be mandated to pay for, all costs associated with IVF treatment, fertilization for women, IVF treatment. Because we want more babies, to put it very nicely. 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," said Trump on Thursday.
How will Trump fund IVF treatments?
The Alabama Supreme Court ruling has raised concerns about the far-ranging impacts on women's healthcare and reproductive technology. Health insurance companies in the US are not currently obligated to cover IVF treatments, which can cost tens of thousands of dollars for a single round. Many women require multiple rounds and there is no guarantee of success.
Trump did not elaborate on how his administration would cover the cost of IVF treatments and changes to the US tax code, or whether he would seek congressional action on his proposals. However, this announcement signals that Trump is trying to present himself as moderate on the issue, going as far as to declare himself as “very strong on women's reproductive rights”.
The announcement came as Trump has been under intense criticism from Democrats for his role in appointing the Supreme Court justices who overturned Roe v Wade, ending the constitutional right to an abortion in the country. Last week, he said his administration would be "great for women and their reproductive rights", which was criticised by conservative supporters.
Trump 'favours' abortion rights
In a major contrast from his and the Republicans' usual positions, Trump told NBC News on Thursday that he would vote in his home state of Florida this November in favour of an amendment to enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution and overturn a current six-week abortion ban. "I am going to be voting that we need more than six weeks," he said.
However, Trump's campaign quickly clarified his statement, saying Trump has yet to make up his mind about the amendment that is strongly opposed by anti-abortion groups. "President Trump has not yet said how he will vote on the ballot initiative in Florida," his press secretary Karoline Leavitt told NPR.
Trump has held multiple conflicting positions on abortion over the years. He has repeatedly taken credit for his role in overturning Roe vs Wade - the constitutional right to abortion in the United States, but also came out in support of IVF and said that regulating abortion should be left to the states.
Will Trump ban abortion?
Trump's latest announcement comes as he continues to adjust to the reality of his new race against Vice President Kamala Harris. In speeches, Harris has attacked Trump's abortion position and painted Republicans as a threat to women's rights, including access to birth control, abortion medication and fertility treatments.
A spokesperson for Harris, Sarafina Chitika, said on Thursday that Trump should not be trusted on issues relating to women's reproductive care. "Because Trump overturned Roe v. Wade, IVF is already under attack and women’s freedoms have been ripped away in states across the country," Chitika said.
Meanwhile, Trump's running mate JD Vance said he would veto a national abortion ban if one were to be passed by Congress. "I can absolutely commit that," he told NBC. "Donald Trump's view is that we want the individual states and their individual cultures and their unique political sensibilities to make these decisions because we don't want to have a nonstop federal conflict over this issue."
(with inputs from agencies)
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