California Gov. Gavin Newsom Slams Republicans for Favoring Rapists Having Children Over In Vitro Fertilization (IVF)

Governor Gavin Newsom of California made a pointed remark on Friday, stating that Republicans favor rapists having children over couples undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF).

Embryos as Humans

This comment comes in the wake of a contentious ruling by the GOP-controlled Alabama Supreme Court, which last week identified frozen embryos as human beings, triggering worries about the implications for IVF clinics using such embryos.

Newsom Slams GOP Over Ruling

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On CNN last Friday, Governor Newsom, a member of the Democratic Party, strongly criticized the recent ruling, emphasizing the number of births from rape in 14 states since the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision overturned Roe v. Wade.

He pointed out that many Republicans are opposing exemptions for rape or incest in new anti-abortion legislation.

65,000 Births After Dobbs

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Newsom told host Jake Tapper, “Everybody knows this, you saw the stats, 65,000 births due to rape since Dobbs in 14 states.”

He was referring to data from a study published last month in JAMA Internal Medicine.

GOP Favors Rapists’ Rights?

Newsom further stated, “Apparently, what the Republican Party has said is the rapists have more rights to bring those babies to birth than families that are trying desperately to have the privilege you and I have had as fathers and parents. It is a disgrace, and it’s a political problem for them, but it’s a moral issue and I found what happened in Alabama disgusting.”

California Safeguards IVF Treatments

Governor Newsom’s office issued a statement to Newsweek on Saturday afternoon, emphasizing that in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatments are safeguarded under California’s state constitution.

Right to Reproductive Care

The spokesperson for Newsom explained, “Californians have an express state constitutional right to reproductive health care and contraception as a result of Proposition 1 (2022). This constitutional right encompasses the right to choose IVF and other forms of reproductive health care.”

A Growing U.S. Trend

The recent decision by the Alabama Supreme Court, which recognizes frozen embryos as legally protected children, has cast a spotlight on a broader trend in the U.S., where the concept that a fetus deserves the same rights as a person is influencing many less conspicuous laws and proposals by those opposed to abortion.

State Proposals on Pregnancy Costs

In at least six states, legislators have put forward proposals similar to Georgia’s law, which enables women to claim child support retroactively to conception for pregnancy-related costs.

State Proposals on Pregnancy Costs

Georgia also permits future parents to count unborn children as dependents for income tax deductions, a practice followed by Utah with its pregnancy tax break last year.

Comparable measures are under consideration in at least four other states.

15 States Push for Fetal Rights

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There are several dozen initiatives aimed at advancing fetal rights in at least 15 states, as identified by an Associated Press investigation using the bill-tracking tool Plural.

Abortion Rights vs. Fetal Legal Status

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The ruling from the Alabama court has brought into focus the anti-abortion movement’s enduring ambition to accord legal and constitutional rights to embryos and fetuses, equal to those of the pregnant women.

However, proponents of abortion rights perceive even the slightest protection extended to embryos and fetuses as having potentially far-reaching consequences.

NYU Professor Warns of Legal Risks

Melissa Murray, a law professor at New York University, warns, “Any law that applies to a human could then be deployed with regard to fetuses. The whole array of statutory law and constitutional law is available.”

Anti-Abortion Views

On the other side, those against abortion maintain that proposals concerning income taxes, child support, or state funding for anti-abortion centers offering prenatal and postnatal services are motivated by empathy for vulnerable women and girls.

Offering Alternatives to Abortion

Critics argue that such support could deter some from opting for abortion, but emphasize that their tax and child support proposals would benefit all women and girls, regardless of their stance on abortion.

Support for Mothers

Lucrecia Nold, a lobbyist for the Kansas Catholic Conference, shared her perspective, stating, “The main goal is just to help provide support for mothers and families who need extra support here and then provide support to those who are also helping them, such as the pregnancy resource centers.”