Rick Scott Under Fire After Voting Against IVF Bill: ‘Fraud’

Sen. Rick Scott, a Florida Republican, has come under fire after voting to block legislation to establish a nationwide right to in vitro fertilization.

Republicans on Tuesday once again blocked the Right to IVF Act, sponsored by Democratic Senator Tammy Duckworth. The vote was the latest effort by Democrats to highlight policy differences between Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee, and her Republican opponent, former President Donald Trump, ahead of November’s election.

The 51-44 vote fell short of the 60 votes needed to move forward on the bill, with only two Republicans—Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska— voting in favor. Democrats have said that Republicans who maintain they support IVF are being hypocritical by refusing to support legislation that guarantees a right to it. Some Republicans have dismissed the bill as a publicity stunt by Democrats.

Many took to social media to criticize Scott after Tuesday’s vote.

“Rick Scott just voted NO to IVF protections—AGAIN. A fraud is always a fraud,” Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, a former Democratic congresswoman who is running to unseat Scott in November, wrote on X.

“Floridians know he’s lying when he says he’ll protect IVF, and he just proved it AGAIN. He’s trying to con Floridians, and in November we’re going to vote him out.”

Ashley Gantt, a Democratic member of the Florida House, wrote: “@SenRickScott blocked IVF protection. When people show you who they are, believe them.”

Another person wrote: “Rick Scott just voted against the right to IVF….AGAIN. What happened @ScottforFlorida??? I thought I could count on this grandpa to protect IVF!!”

In a statement, Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried said: “Rick Scott has again voted against protecting access to IVF—a miracle treatment that has allowed millions of Americans to start families.

“He continues to lie to Floridians about his phony support for IVF but Scott’s toxic anti-choice record is clear. He’ll stop at nothing to rip away personal decisions from women and their families, and Floridians will hold him accountable in November.”

Newsweek has contacted Scott’s office for comment via email.

Scott faced similar backlash in June after releasing an ad touting his support for IVF hours after he first voted against the Right to IVF Act.

The Right to IVF Act would establish a nationwide right for patients to access IVF and other assisted reproductive technologies and would require insurance companies to cover the procedure.

The push by Democrats began earlier this year after the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos could be considered children under state law, leading to several clinics in the state suspending IVF treatments until the GOP-led legislature enacted a law to provide legal protections for the clinics.

On Monday, Scott urged senators to vote for his Increasing Value for Families with HSAs (Health Savings Accounts) Act, noting in a floor speech that his daughter is currently receiving IVF treatment.

He later accused Democrats of blocking the bill, saying in a statement that “the real world impact of my bill is that millions of Americans will be able to save more money in tax free accounts to pay for medical expenses like IVF.”

He added: “If the Democrats and the Senate are serious about ensuring opportunities for families, we can start today by allowing this good bill to pass. Unfortunately, Democrats refused to do so today.”

Republican Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas and Katie Britt of Alabama have also tried to pass a bill, known as the IVF Protection Act, that would threaten to withhold Medicaid funding for states where IVF is banned.

Cruz, who is running for reelection, said Democrats were holding the vote on their bill “in order to stoke baseless fears about IVF and push their broader political agenda.”

Democratic Sen. Patty Murray criticized Cruz and Britt’s bill as a “show-bill” that does “nothing to meaningfully” protect access IVF.

“I have been perfectly clear about the glaring issue with this Republican bill,” Murray said in a speech on the Senate floor.

“The cold, hard reality is this Republican bill does nothing to meaningfully protect IVF from the biggest threats from lawmakers and anti-abortion extremists all over this country. It would still allow states to regulate IVF out of existence. And this bill is silent on fetal personhood, which is the biggest threat to IVF.”

Full List of Republicans Who Voted Against IVF Bill

Forty-four Republicans voted against the Right to IVF Act. Republican vice presidential candidate and Ohio Sen. JD Vance, who is on the campaign trail, missed the vote. Sens. Mike Rounds of South Dakota and Thom Tillis of North Carolina also did not vote.

John Barrasso (R-WY)

Marsha Blackburn (R-TN)

John Boozman (R-AR)

Mike Braun (R-IN)

Katie Boyd Britt (R-AL)

Ted Budd (R-NC)

Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV)

Bill Cassidy (R-LA)

John Cornyn (R-TX)

Tom Cotton (R-AR)

Kevin Cramer (R-ND)

Mike Crapo (R-ID)

Ted Cruz (R-TX)

Steve Daines (R-MT)

Joni Ernst (R-IA)

Deb Fischer (R-NE)

Lindsey Graham (R-SC)

Chuck Grassley (R-IA)

Bill Hagerty (R-TN)

Josh Hawley (R-MO)

John Hoeven (R-ND)

Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS)

Ron Johnson (R-WI)

John Kennedy (R-LA)

James Lankford (R-OK)

Mike Lee (R-UT)

Cynthia Lummis (R-WY)

Roger Marshall (R-KS)

Mitch McConnell (R-KY)

Jerry Moran (R-KS)

Markwayne Mullin (R-OK)

Rand Paul (R-KY)

Pete Ricketts (R-NE)

James Risch (R-ID)

Mitt Romney (R-UT)

Marco Rubio (R-FL)

Eric Schmitt (R-MO)

Rick Scott (R-FL)

Tim Scott (R-SC)

Dan Sullivan (R-AK)

John Thune (R-SD)

Tommy Tuberville (R-AL)

Roger Wicker (R-MS)

Todd Young (R-IN)