During the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Tuesday night, Illinois Senator Tammy Duckworth called on voters to safeguard access to in-vitro fertilization and criticized former President Donald Trump for undermining reproductive rights during his administration.
Duckworth cautioned that after the overturning of Roe v. Wade, Republicans may target IVF next. She expressed her concern over Trump’s efforts to restrict women’s rights in the United States.
In her remarks, Duckworth shared her personal experience with infertility, highlighting that her daughters, Abigail and Maile, were conceived through IVF after a decade of struggles. She emphasized the importance of reproductive care, stating that Trump’s anti-woman agenda poses a threat to others’ rights to start families.
Duckworth urged potential parents to stand together and send a message to Trump in the upcoming elections: to keep out of their healthcare decisions. She equated the pain of her infertility journey to her battlefield experiences, criticizing Trump, a convicted felon, for how he has treated women seeking medical care.
Additionally, she condemned Republican officials like JD Vance for their contradictory stances on family support, emphasizing that all Americans should proudly embrace parenthood without feeling criminalized. Duckworth concluded by supporting Vice President Kamala Harris and calling for a historical election in November.