GOP Split on IVF
Rep. Bill Hauter (R-Morton), an emergency room physician, is both pro-life and supportive of In Vitro Fertilization (IVF).
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As Republicans nationwide continue to struggle with the political fallout of an Alabama court ruling that severely limited the use of in vitro fertilization, or IVF, there remains plenty of difference of opinion in Illinois Republicans.
Last week, conservative Congresswoman Mary Miller (R-Hindsboro) co-signed a letter calling the practice, which has helped millions of families conceive, “morally dubious.”
But, Rep. Bill Hauter (R-Morton), an emergency room physician, is at odds with Miller’s statement.
In an interview with me on WMAY in Springfield Monday, Hauter acknowledged the divisions the right has with the procedure.
“This has a chance to divide up the Republican Party,” he said. “It even divides up pro-lifers and families. There’s all kinds of takes on this.”
Hauter, who is pro-life, called IVF a “wonderful” medical advancement.
“IVF is pro-life. It’s pro-family. It’s a wonderful, amazing technology,” he said. “With that technology, there’s always ethical issues that arise. I think I would just like to see very ethical handling of the [zygote]. You can produce excessive amounts. So, how do you handle those extra fertilized eggs?”
Hauter is critical of Democrats for making IVF a “political issue,” because, he says, “a lot” of Republicans support IVF.
You can hear our visit with Hauter on WMAY here.