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Floor Speech
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Mrs. HYDE-SMITH. Mr. President, in a few moments, I would like to ask unanimous consent for the Senate to take up and pass legislation I have introduced to support genuine solutions to infertility and empower couples with autonomy over how they build their families.
First, I want to take a moment to recognize the second anniversary of the Dobbs decision, a ruling that underscores the great significance of bringing life into this world. It still doesn't feel real that we were able to overturn Roe. What a blessing for this country that that was.
However, we are still fighting daily to protect Americans from the harmful pro-abortion agenda being pushed by the Democrats. Pro-abortion advocates have been creative in spreading fear by using issues that Republicans support, such as access to IVF.
I have been clear about my strong support for access to IVF and am grateful for its ability to bring God's beautiful creations into this world. And while the left wants to stoke fear in this arena, it is time that we hone in on the real problem and find long-lasting, affordable solutions.
Infertility affects 15 to 16 percent of couples in the United States and is a profoundly emotional experience. While IVF is a procedure used to create life, it does not treat the underlying conditions that cause infertility and make it difficult for a woman to sustain that life in the womb.
If we are going to address the issue of infertility, then we need to start with solutions that promote genuine healing. This is the mission behind the RESTORE Act, which I introduced with Senator Lankford last week. ``RESTORE'' stands for reproductive empowerment and support through optimal restoration.
Provisions of this budget-neutral bill include: educational tools for women seeking information about reproductive health conditions and restorative reproductive medicine, training opportunities for medical professionals who feel called to help couples build their families.
They will learn how to diagnose and treat reproductive health conditions such as endometriosis, PCOS, uterine fibroids, blocked fallopian tubes, hormone imbalances, and thyroid conditions, ovulation dysfunctions, and other health conditions that cause infertility and painful menstrual cycles.
The RESTORE Act also directs HHS to conduct data collection and implement ongoing reports to assess the access women have to restorative reproductive medicine and infertility care.
We also ensure strong religious and conscience protections in the bill. What we are trying to do here is promote long-term healing for couples struggling with infertility. We want to empower childbearing generations so that families can address fertility concerns in a cost- effective manner.
This bill is separate and complementary to IVF. We have seen great success numbers come from fertility clinics that take a holistic approach to healing the root cause of infertility, and if IVF is still necessary, these clinics see a greater success rate in the first round of IVF.
This pro-family bill is one more step toward increasing successful fertility treatments for women and men.
I will continue to support those going through infertility and search for ways to help families who dreamed of bringing children into this world.
4533 and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration; further, that the bill be considered read a third time and passed and the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.
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