Liveblogging: Durbin and Harkin Suggest Banning IVF

The Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act (SCREA) would allow researchers to use excess embryos that would otherwise be discarded. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) suggested that those who oppose the SCREA, because deriving the stem cells kills the embryo, should also oppose IVF clinics because they create excess embryos that would otherwise be discarded.

Senator Harkin (D-IA) said the same thing yesterday:

It seems to me, if this is a moral problem for the President or anybody else, we ought to have legislation that would shut down every IVF clinic in this country. Shut them down and ban the procedure in the United States because there are leftover embryos. If it is immoral to take those embryos, even with the written, informed consent of the donors, with no money changing hands, and if they are going to be discarded anyway, if that is immoral, wouldn't it be immoral to just discard them? But you have to do one or the other.

An option not mentioned by Durbin or Harkin is following Italy's lead by limiting the number of embryos created at IVF clinics to only those that can be implanted at one time. Such a policy would put an enormous burden on couples undergoing IVF therapies, so I doubt any SCREA opponents will try to implement it.