Whitmer and Becerra discuss attacks on IVF and abortion rights at metro Detroit roundtable

During a Thursday roundtable discussion in Farmington Hills, Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer pushed back on what she said were continuing Republicans efforts to take away women’s reproductive freedom.   

“Every effort to take away the ability of a woman to access health care has ripples that people can’t even imagine,” said Whitmer. 

Whitmer was joined by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, who praised Whitmer’s effort to support reproductive freedom policy and initiatives. She supported the 2022 amendment voters passed guaranteeing the right to an abortion in Michigan’s constitution and signed several abortion rights measures last year.

‘Republicans have put the rights of a fertilized egg over the rights of the woman’

He also said that the 2022 U.S. Supreme Court Dobbs decision overturning Roe v. Wade is having an impact on reproductive choices such as In-vitro fertilization (IVF). 

“A lot of Americans think that [Dobbs] is only about abortion. It is not,” Becerra said. “It is about access to health care.”

Whitmer and Becerra heard from families who have used IVF to conceive. Also participating were Dr. LeAnn Louis, an OB-GYN resident at Michigan Medicine; state Rep. Samatha Steckloff (D-Farmington Hills); Oakland County Executive Dave Coulter; and Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, Michigan’s chief medical officer. 

“Health care decisions and science should be left to individuals and medical professionals. Period,” Whitmer said. “And not politicians.” 

Concern about access to IVF has grown since the Alabama Supreme Court issued a February ruling declaring that embryos created through IVF should be considered children. 

The issue has now become a 2024 campaign issue, with Republicans divided. Whitmer is a national co-chair of President Joe Biden’s reelection campaign.

Earlier this week, the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments on restricting access to mifepristone, a pharmaceutical used in miscarriage and medication abortion care. Both Whitmer and Attorney General Dana Nessel, who’s also a Democrat, slammed the GOP-backed effort that could limit abortion rights across the country.  

“Even in states where abortion rights are protected like Michigan, the decision would severely limit people’s right to make one of the most important decisions about their family in consultation with their doctor,” Whitmer said.

Coulter, a Democrat, said that men in politics should not have a say in women’s reproductive freedom. 

“We all have to stand up,” Coulter said. “This is more than about abortion. It’s about having the access to the care that you need. Whatever the care you need.” 

Laura Dennison, a mother of two who used IVF to conceive, said during the discussion that reproductive freedom is important to her. 

“It has made a difference in whether or not I can have children,” Dennison said.