Trump rekindles IVF debate

President Trump's order to expand access to in vitro fertilization will test Republican solidarity on an issue that split GOP ranks in the run-up to the election.

Why it matters: IVF generally enjoys broad support among Americans, including many conservatives, but at times has been problematic for some in the anti-abortion movement, who object to the destruction of surplus embryos created through the process.

• Trump on Tuesday ordered policy recommendations to reduce the costs for accessing the procedure, which can range from $12,000 to $25,000 per cycle.
• The procedure is often not fully covered by insurance, with roughly a quarter of employers reporting coverage of IVF for their workers, according to the White House.

The anti-abortion group Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life said on Tuesday that it doesn't object to "ethical fertility treatments paired with strong medical safety standards."

• "We also believe human embryos should not be destroyed," SBA Pro-Life America President Marjorie Dannenfelser said in a statement.

"This is certainly something that the president is going to have to reconcile with people in his own party," Barbara Collura, CEO of RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association, told Axios.

Flashback: Alabama became the focal point for IVF and fertility care a year ago, when the state's Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos created through IVF were children under state law.

• That created a flurry of legal questions and temporarily halted procedures until Republican Gov. Kay Ivey signed a law preserving the availability of IVF in the state.

The other side: Abortion rights groups dismissed the move and again tied Trump to abortion bans and other limits on women's health care.

• "Access to fertility treatments like IVF is critical for people trying to start or grow their families — and it's Democrats who have supported pro-IVF and pro-contraception policies," Reproductive Freedom for All said in a statement.

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