Senator Murray Strongly Denounces Republican Efforts to Continue Ban on In Vitro Fertilization for Veterans

Republican bill would leave in place “absurd and antiquated” ban that prevents catastrophically wounded veterans from starting their own families using VA services

Young Iraq and Afghanistan veterans with reproductive injuries from combat wounds would continue to be forced to pay tens of thousands of dollars in out-of-pocket cost under Republican bill

(Washington, D.C.) – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray, a senior member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee and author of legislation to overturn a ban on providing in-vitro fertilization services as part of VA medical care, denounced Senate Republicans for leaving that provision out of their own veterans’ legislation that they are introducing on the floor of the U.S. Senate. Murray’s provision to overturn the ban is included in The Comprehensive Veterans Health and Benefits and Military Retirement Pay Restoration Act of 2014 which was introduced by Senator Bernie Sanders and is currently being considered on the floor of the U.S. Senate. Senator Murray told the personal story of one family forced to pay thousands out-of-pocket because of the ban on the Senate floor yesterday.

“I’m stunned that Senate Republicans are indicating that they will not join us in overturning this absurd and antiquated ban,” said Senator Murray. “The catastrophic wounds we have seen from injuries in Iraq and Afghanistan have meant that our veterans’ dreams to start a family have been put on hold because of the tremendous cost of IVF services. We believe that’s a cost of war that the VA absolutely should cover and that it’s unacceptable to let politics stand in the way. I truly hope that Republicans will reconsider opposing this common-sense step that will give those who have sacrificed everything the reproductive treatments they need to start a family.”