New Gingrich Vows to Ban Stem-Cell Research; Questions IVF

Former House speaker Newt Gingrich caught our attention yesterday as he contradicted his decade-long support for embryonic stem cell research. The headline of the article in yesterday's Washington Post lept across the bowl of Cornflakes and startled me:




In a bid to win the Republican primaries and seal the nomination as the 2012 Republican presidential candidate, Newt Gingrich is campaigning hard before Tuesday's Florida primary.

Is he pandering to the conservative and, in particular evangelistic voters? And what ramifications does that have?


Gringrich's History of Flip-Flopping

Certainly, Newt Gingrich has changed his mind on a lot of things political.

• He has positioned himself as a Washington Outsider, "Not representing Wall Street or the Politicians in Washington." Yet he is a former Speaker of the House of Representatives during President Clinton's tenure in office.

• Gingrich has denied being a lobbyist, although he had closed-door sessions with politicians and worked as a "consultant and advisor" to Freddie Mac's lobbying division (Wall Street Journal).

• Newt Gingrich was demonstrably outraged and led the impeachment of Bill Clinton for his affair with Monica Lewinsky, while having an affair of his own with a staff member which led to divorce from his second wife.

Newt Gingrich's Current Attack on Reproductive Rights

Gingrich vows to ban embryonic stem cell research, stating that embryonic stem-cell research amounts to "the use of science to desensitize society over the killing of babies" (Washington Post). In addition, he wants to create a commission (which, incidentally means bigger government and more invasion of government into private lives) "to look seriously at the ethics of how we manage fertility clinics."

Yet when he was Speaker of the House a decade ago, Gingrich's attitudes about IVF and reproductive rights were much, much different. Not only did he support using embryonic stem cells, he spoke out in favor of approving federal funds for embryonic stem-cell research.

• "For many of us, there’s a very, very real distinction between doing something with an unborn child, a fetus that is implanted, and doing something with cells in a fertility clinic that are otherwise going to be destroyed" (Washington Post)

• "I think that there are ways to have appreciation for life, to recognize the sanctity of life, but nonetheless to look at fertility clinics where there are cells that are sitting there that are not going to be used to create life. They literally today, they’re unregulated, they can be thrown away. And I think the president, I hope the president, will find a way to agree that there ought to be federally funded research" (Washington Post)

Pandering? We think so. And if not, his track record of believing in his own policies and actions is pretty sad.


RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association Responds

Barbara Collura, RESOLVE's Executive Director has published a response to the news that Gingrich vows to ban embryonic stem-cell research and question the ethics of in vitro fertilization.

IVF becomes a topic on the campaign trail RESOLVE Today, we’ve reached a new high in infertility awareness. Did you see it? Perhaps you heard it yourself or read about it in today’s paper. Ladies and gentlemen…mark this date on your calendar: Presidential candidates are talking about in vitro fertilization! One of them actually addressed IVF on the campaign trail. Hallelujah! We can close our doors, take down the website, and put this cruel disease behind us. Awareness has reached people who may hold the highest office in this land. What more could we ask for? Excuse me? What is that you are saying? I need to read the quote more carefully? You mean this isn’t a wonderful public awareness statement about the life affirming medical treatments for the millions who suffer from infertility? You mean this isn’t about how everyone will get access to care who needs it? You mean this isn’t about doctors treating patients with the standard of care we deserve? Let me take a moment to read the quote fully…please, read it with me. Continue reading at RESOLVE.

Whether or not Gingrich will win the nomination or not, his false bravado is doing great harm to women's reproductive rights and families' rights and options for family building. Medical ethicists, doctors, researchers, professional organizations and patients have all engaged in an ongoing discourse about the ethics of IVF and other assisted reproductive technology issues. These are the people who are directly involved in family building issues.

Infertility has been defined by the World Health Organization and the American Society for Reproductive Medicine as a disease. Diagnostics and testing for infertility are covered by most U.S. healthcare insurance plans, and treatments (including IVF) are covered by a subset of insurance plans. Gingrich's contemporaries in the UK and other European countries have been vigilant in examining infertility treatment options and ethics and a number of governments have various laws mandating that government funds be used to cover IVF.

We need to speak up and let Newt Gingrich and other politicians know that it is not okay for them to get in between Americans and our reproductive rights and treatment options. Roe v. Wade was a landmark ruling that propelled the U.S. out of the dark ages, giving women the right to choose what happens with their bodies. Many self-named conservative politicians want to take all of those rights away and go back in time. If you disagree with them and believe that you should be the one to decide what treatments are right for you and your family, please take action.

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