--- title: State of the Union: What Biden Said on IVF and Abortion description: “Guarantee the right to IVF. Guarantee it nationwide,” Biden said in a State of the Union that also hammered Trump on a national abortion ban. canonical: https://time.com/6898688/biden-ivf-abortion-state-of-the-union/ author: Brian Bennett article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2024-03-08T04:03:05.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-01-19T13:27:23.000Z article:section: Politics og:title: State of the Union: What Biden Said on IVF and Abortion og:description: “Guarantee the right to IVF. Guarantee it nationwide,” Biden said in a State of the Union that also hammered Trump on a national abortion ban. og:url: https://time.com/6898688/biden-ivf-abortion-state-of-the-union/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc27a7906fca2a512/698a4936096a9449776af1f2/GettyImages-2059261356.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1024 og:image:height: 576 og:image:alt: President Biden Delivers State Of The Union Address og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: State of the Union: What Biden Said on IVF and Abortion twitter:description: “Guarantee the right to IVF. Guarantee it nationwide,” Biden said in a State of the Union that also hammered Trump on a national abortion ban. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc27a7906fca2a512/698a4936096a9449776af1f2/GettyImages-2059261356.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Biden Targets Republicans on IVF and Abortion Access in State of the Union > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: September 2026. ## TIME D.C. Brief: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition D.C. Brief is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington. D.C. Brief goes beyond the Washington headlines to explain the politics, personalities and power dynamics shaping what happens next. 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President Joe Biden used his State of the Union address in Washington on Thursday to draw a sharp contrast between his administration's accomplishments and priorities and those of his Republican rival, former President Donald Trump._  by [Brian Bennett](https://time.com/author/brian-bennett/)  ## Brian Bennett Bennett is a former senior White House correspondent at TIME. Updated: Jan 19, 2026 1:27 PM UTCPublished: Mar 8, 2024 4:03 AM UTC  President Joe Biden delivers his State of the Union address at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on March 7, 2024 President Joe Biden delivers his State of the Union address at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on March 7, 2024 Shawn Thew—EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images  by [Brian Bennett](https://time.com/author/brian-bennett/)  ## Brian Bennett Bennett is a former senior White House correspondent at TIME. Updated: Jan 19, 2026 1:27 PM UTCPublished: Mar 8, 2024 4:03 AM UTC Convinced that the ongoing Republican threats to abortion access will provide his party political jet fuel in November, President Biden spoke forcefully about reproductive rights in his State of the Union address Thursday night, calling on Congress to protect both access to abortion and in vitro fertilization (IVF). “Guarantee the right to IVF. Guarantee it nationwide,” Biden said, tapping into an issue that emerged just weeks ago after an Alabama court decision determined an embryo has the [same rights as a child](https://time.com/6835548/lawmakers-ivf-embryos-alabama-legislation/), upending IVF treatments for those in the state hoping to use the procedure to conceive. Responding to the uproar, Republican Gov. Kay Ivey signed a law Thursday designed to give immunity to the state's IVF providers. As a sign of what a political liability the IVF issue has become for Republicans, Senator Katie Britt of Alabama was selected to provide the party's rebuttal to Biden's address. "We support continued nationwide access to in vitro fertilization," she said during her rebuttal. Last month, Senate Republicans [blocked](https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/republicans-block-senate-bill-to-protect-nationwide-access-to-ivf-treatments) a bill to protect IVF nationwide. Biden’s defense of IVF treatments was a shift in the messaging he had been delivering on reproductive rights for nearly two years, since the Supreme Court overturned _Roe v. Wade_ in the _Dobbs_ decision. He also lambasted former President Donald Trump and other Republicans for boasting about having nominated three of the Supreme Court justices that helped overturn the nearly 50-year constitutional right of access to abortions. Biden highlighted two guests of First Lady Jill Biden to hammer home the issue, including Kate Cox, a mother from Texas who had to travel out of state for a medically necessary abortion. Cox was seated with First Lady Jill Biden. “Her own life and ability to have children in the future were at risk,” Biden said. “It’s happening to too many others.” He warned that many Republicans in the room were promising voters that they would pass a national abortion ban. “My God what freedom else will you take away?” Biden said, fumbling his words slightly. Biden also introduced Latorya Beasley, a woman from Alabama, who had to stop her IVF treatment after the court decision. “Let’s stand up for families like her,” Biden said. Biden said that he believed _Roe V. Wade_ “got it right” in securing access to abortion in the country, and emphasized that if voters elect Democratic majorities in the House and Senate in November, he would push for a law enshrining nationwide the same protections to abortion access that _Roe_ had guaranteed. “Clearly those bragging about overturning _Roe v. Wade_ have no clue about the power of women in America,” Biden said. “Women are not without electoral power—excuse me—electoral or political power,” he added, referring to a line from Justice Samuel Alito’s 2022 opinion that overturned _Roe_. “You are about to realize just how much you were right about that." ## Transcript pretty girl Putin of Russia signed the March invading Ukraine and sowing chaos throughout Europe and Beyond Is anybody in this room think spoon. In Ukraine? I assure you he will not. Walmart trailer accessories a former Republican Presidential spoon quote do whatever the hell you want. That's a quote. Former president actually said that bowing down the Russian leader. I think it's outrageous is dangerous at is unacceptable. We made no stronger than ever. Welcome to the alliance last year. Address this morning. Sweden officially joined and their ministers here tonight. Can I stand up? Welcome history is watching. Just like history watch 3 years ago on January 6th. When is erection storm this very Capital place the dagger the throat of American democracy man, you were here on that darkest of days. We all saw it with our own eyes. The instructions were not Patriots. They come to stop the peaceful transfer of power to overturn the will of the people January six lies about the 2020 election and the plot to steal the election posed a great gravest threat to US democracy since the Civil War. A threat to democracy must be defended. My predecessor and some of you here seek to bury the truth about Universe 6. I will not do that. This is a moment to speak the truth in the berry lies. There's a simple truth. You can't love your country only when you win. Girls bragging about overturning Roe v. Wade have no clue about the power women, but they found out when reproductive Freedom was on the ballot. We won in 2022 and 2020 and again in 2024 and November my team again serious negotiation of the bipartisan group of senators. The result was a bipartisan bill with the toughest set of border security forms we've ever seen. Or you don't think so. Oh, you don't like that bill, huh? Black conservatives got together and said it was a good bill. I'll be darned that's amazing that bike tire 1500 more security agents and officers 100 more immigration judges help tackle the back load of two men in cases 4003 in the more Asylum officer instead of 6 years now and I station leading international effort to get more humanitarian assistance to gossip tonight. I'm directing the US military to lead and mercy mission to establish a temporary pier in the Mediterranean coast of Gaza. I can receive large shipments kind of food water medicine in temporary shelters. No, us boots will be on the ground a temporary. Will enable a massive increase the amount of material assistance getting in the Gaza everyday. Israel must allow more Aiden the gods mnsure humanitarian workers aren't caught in the crossfire. We're going to call. I have a cross in the northern Gaza. Leadership is real. I say this humanitarian assistance cannot be a secondary consideration or bargaining chip protecting and saving innocent life has to be priority as we look to the Future the only real solution to the situation is a two-state solution overtime. I know it may not look like it but I've been around awhile. Trying to get to be my age certain things become clearer than ever. I know the American story again. And again, I seen the contest between competing forces in the battle for the soul of our nation between those who want to pull them back to the past those want to move American to the Future Embrace freedom and democracy a future based on core values the defined America honesty decency dignity and equality expect everyone to give everyone a fair trial to give hate no Safe Harbor. Do the people my age see differently? The American story of resentment revenge and retribution. That's not me. in my career I've been told I was too young. How do I get to let me on the central elevators for both? Sometimes? It's not a joke. I've been told I'm too old. Whether young or old I've always been known. I've always known what indoors I've known are Northstar the very idea of Americans that were all created equal deserves to be treated equally throughout our lives. We've never fully lived up to that idea, but we've never walked away from it either. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/6898688/biden-ivf-abortion-state-of-the-union/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/6898688/biden-ivf-abortion-state-of-the-union/"},"headline":"Biden Targets Republicans on IVF and Abortion Access in State of the Union","datePublished":"2024-03-08T04:03:05.000Z","dateModified":"2026-01-19T13:27:23.000Z","description":"“Guarantee the right to IVF. 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