COMING SOON: HOUSE DEM BLITZ ON IVF Tim Walz this week brought the political fight over in vitro fertilization to the presidential campaign trail. Hill Democrats plan to keep up the battle in Congress, too. When lawmakers return to Washington next month, House Democrats and reproductive health activists are planning another big push to legalize IVF protections. It would have an uphill climb to a floor vote in the GOP majority, but Democrats are eager to ramp up the pressure on at-risk Republicans over IVF access — like their Senate counterparts did in June — given the Alabama court ruling that raised questions about its future. Rep. Susan Wild (D-Pa.) — who authored a bill to guarantee access to IVF nationally that has nearly 200 cosponsors, including four Republicans — has spent the last several weeks lining up backers for the bill. Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi has helped, whipping Democratic support in recent days. And multiple advocacy groups, including the American Society for Reproductive Medicine and the Resolve National Infertility Association, are planning to step up the pressure in a big way in September, hitting up Republicans with calls, meetings and more. “I’m going to push very hard,” said Wild, who began drafting her bill even before the Alabama court decision. “It’s an election year and it’s a great issue.” Her campaign aligns with House Democratic leaders’ priorities. During a caucus call earlier this week, Minority Whip Katherine Clark (D-Mass.) spoke to members about how reproductive freedom continues to be the party’s “greatest point of strength,” according to a person on the call who was granted anonymity to discuss internal conversations. Clark specifically encouraged Democrats to highlight the lack of GOP position on IVF, including Republicans not being willing to bring up IVF bills on the floor. Some GOP lawmakers want to make sure Democrats don’t get that attack line. Rep. Marc Molinaro (R-N.Y.), who is among the four Republicans who signed onto Wild’s bill, said he hopes the measure will get a vote in the House soon. “I think that it is absolutely important that we, now more than ever, show respect to women for the choices they have to make. And to the extent we can preserve access to IVF, which is a tool that brings life into the world, but also recognize that it comes with great challenges and heartache for women, I think it's important that we clarify,” Molinaro said. But neither Molinaro, nor the other Republican cosponsors, have signed onto Wild’s discharge petition that’s trying to force a floor vote on the bill — which requires a House majority, and therefore some GOP support, to work. We’re doubtful that any will, since it’s a big step against leadership. (There are also some concerns among Republicans that the bill doesn’t take any specific steps to expand access to IVF beyond making it a “statutory right.”) But Wild, who is still pushing that discharge petition, said it will put a lot of pressure on Republicans once she’s able to secure official support from all 212 Democrats, which would then require just a handful of GOP votes to bring the bill to the floor. “I'm going to be very public about it if Republicans who have co-sponsored it don't agree to sign the discharge petition,” Wild said. “You don't get to say, ‘Oh, I cosponsored an IVF bill’ in your campaign and then not get on the discharge petition that would actually bring it to a vote.” It’s not the only bill out there: Molinaro and a dozen other Republicans have also backed a bipartisan bill from Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R-Ore.), which would require private health insurance plans to cover infertility treatment. But that bill has only 15 cosponsors, since House conservatives oppose the idea of coverage mandates for private insurance companies. (GOP Rep. Anna Paulina Luna of Florida has another bill, which would remove funding from states that prevent doctors from performing IVF. She had been a cosponsor of Wild’s bill for exactly eight days before withdrawing.) Democrats had already pounced on the issue after Donald Trump chose Sen. JD Vance as his running mate. The Ohio Republican voted with the majority of GOP senators to block Democrats’ IVF access bill in June. (Only two Republicans sided with Democrats to advance that bill: Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska.) — Sarah Ferris and Olivia Beavers GOOD EVENING! Welcome to Inside Congress, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill, on this Friday, Aug. 9, where we’re starting to compile the best Chicago food recs and running routes. Hit us up! OMAR EXPECTED TO FEND OFF PRIMARY CHALLENGER Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) is again facing a primary challenge from former Minneapolis City Council member Don Samuels next week. This time, she is expected to win handily. Multiple Democrats project that Omar will easily survive her primary contest next Tuesday, despite her difficult challenge from Samuels in 2022. The Minnesota Democrat, who won by just 2,500 votes two years ago, took her primary more seriously this cycle. She strengthened relationships in her districts, hired a strong campaign team and raised serious cash. No AIPAC spending — this time: Unlike her fellow progressives — Reps. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.) and Cori Bush (D-Mo.), who both lost their primaries — Omar did not become a priority target of the powerful American Israel Public Affairs Committee this cycle. And she raised a lot of her own money this time, too: a whopping $6.8 million as of late July. She used that massive war chest to gain a sizable on-air advantage. Samuels, meanwhile, has spent just $100,000 on the air as of mid-August, according to data from the ad tracking firm AdImpact. That's 27 times less than Omar invested on ads. — Sarah Ferris and Ally Mutnick
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