Press Releases

Washington, D.C. – Congressman Josh Brecheen led a letter to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) demanding answers about the destruction of precious life in the In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) industry.  

The Daily Signal’s Mary Margaret Olohan wrote an exclusive report on the letter, click here to read the story.

“According to our nation’s birth certificate, the Declaration of Independence, government is instituted among men to secure the right to Life. The IVF industry is lacking accountability on this front. The American people must be made fully aware of how many embryos the IVF industry destroys and the decisions behind this destruction of human life. Congress cannot continue to allow clinics to conceal their activities from the public, and that is why we are demanding answers,” said Congressman Josh Brecheen.

Click here to read the full letter.

Excerpts:

“…The IVF industry has long operated under the radar of lawmakers in the United States. While other Western countries prohibit clinics from practicing eugenics or carelessly destroying human life, the U.S. does not even require clinics to be transparent about their participation in these activities. This carelessness has earned the U.S. the title of the ‘Wild West’ of assisted reproductive technology.

Clinics are not required to disclose the total number of embryos they create, how many they store indefinitely, or how many they destroy and for what reasons. Shockingly, clinics are not even required to disclose statistics on their application of genetic screening, which more than 70% of fertility clinics utilize for sex-selection. Advancing technology raises further concerns that clinics will use genetic screening to choose the ‘best’ embryos based on traits like eye or hair color, complexion, or potential height. In the U.S., this technology is already used to select or discard embryos based on eye color. 

Congress cannot allow clinics to continue concealing these activities, which carry significant moral and ethical implications, from the public.” 

The letter was co-signed by Representatives Matt Rosendale (R-MT) and Andrew Clyde (R-GA).

“Human life should be respected as a miracle from our Creator, not treated as a fully customizable luxury vehicle,” said Rep. Rosendale. “Just because society can, does not mean it should alter the genetics of the Lord’s already perfect work. We should be working towards the protection of every human life, not finding more ways to toss away human embryos like they are undesirable parts.”

Groups in support include Americans United for Life, Students for Life Action, Family Research Council, CatholicVote, Concerned Women for America, Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, and SBA Pro-Life America. 

"Southern Baptists believe every child is a gift from God, inherently valuable, worthy of protection and care, and possesses the right to be born, not contingent upon the mechanism by which they were conceived. The current practice of IVF both heedlessly takes the life of unborn children and fails to protect families from manipulation by an unregulated fertility industry. Through this letter, it is our hope that more unborn lives will be protected, that parents will be better informed of the numerous ethical concerns at play when considering IVF and other assisted reproductive technologies, and that the necessary requests for information will be answered by the CDC,” said the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission. 

“Since its inception, the IVF industry in the United States has created millions of lives, and has done so completely without federal protections for children, parents, and families.  You don’t have to look far to see the abuses that have taken place because of this lack of protection--embryos destroyed without parental knowledge or consent; excess embryos created, frozen, and treated as if they were not human beings; embryos cloned, grafted with animal embryos, and experimented upon; embryos discarded because of a potential physical abnormality, eye color, or sex. Americans cannot turn a blind eye as the IVF industry continues to operate without regulation. We are grateful for Rep. Brecheen’s efforts to bring light to what is happening in the IVF industry,” said Mary Szoch, Director of the Center for Human Dignity at Family Research Council.

“Students for Life Action appreciates Rep. Brecheen’s leadership in addressing the lack of regulations and accountability in the troubling IVF industry. In the United States, millions of embryonic children are discarded, thrown away like yesterday’s trash, sometimes after Eugenics-inspired pre-screening that perpetuates prejudice against others. The loss of life and careless disregard of humanity needs to be addressed. The billion-dollar industry of IVF needs to be monitored, given the life and death stakes, and the potentially predatory nature of a business that promises a lot but usually does not deliver. It is time not only the CDC but Congress to take actions against the terrible habits of the IVF industry,” said Kristan Hawkins President of Students for Life of America and Students for Life Action. 

“Thank you Rep. Brecheen for demanding information regarding frozen or discarded embryos. This information is a missing piece in the national debate over safety standards in fertility treatment,” said Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America. 

###