The Southern Baptists, the U.S.'s largest Protestant denomination, voted to condemn in vitro fertilization (IVF) on Wednesday. On Thursday, Senate Republicans blocked a Democrat-backed bill to protect IVF treatments. 

Other Legislation:  On Wednesday, Sens. Katie Britt (R-AL) and Ted Cruz (R-TX) renewed an alternative IVF protection bill that they introduced several weeks ago. Democrats were unsatisfied with the loopholes it left open for state legislatures, they said. 

The Context: IVF is a fertilization procedure done in a laboratory. The Alabama Supreme Court ruled that IVF embryos are children in February, sparking debate within the pro-life movement. While some oppose the destruction of unused embryos in IVF treatment, a poll of pro-life advocates found 78% supported IVF treatments.

Key Quotes: “In vitro fertilization is legal and available in every state across our nation. We strongly support continued nationwide access to IVF, which has allowed millions of aspiring parents to start and grow their families," the GOP Senate conference said in a statement. “Despite claiming to support IVF, Senate Republicans blocked my Right to IVF Act. This is the third time they’ve blocked legislation to protect IVF nationwide. This is who Republicans are,” said Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL). 

How the Media Covered It: Outlets on the left were more likely to omit the Britt-Cruz bill from their reporting, while The New York Post (Lean Right) included it in their headline. Outlets in the center tended to include it near the end of the article.