IVF Provision Removed From Defense Bill, Pro-Life Groups Applaud

The U.S. House of Representatives passed a $901 billion defense authorization bill Wednesday stripped of a controversial provision that would have required insurance coverage for in vitro fertilization for military families

That move is drawing praise from pro-life organizations that hailed the move as a stand against the destruction of human embryos.

The National Defense Authorization Act, known as the NDAA and formally designated S. 1071, cleared the House by a vote of 312-112. The measure now heads to the Senate for consideration.

The IVF language, which passed both chambers earlier this year, was dropped from the final negotiated version unveiled over the weekend. Under the removed provision, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth would have been directed to ensure that fertility-related care, including IVF, was covered under the TRICARE Prime and TRICARE Select health plans for active-duty service members and their dependents.

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TRICARE currently does not cover IVF or other assisted reproductive technologies.

The provision’s elimination mirrored a similar removal from last year’s defense bill and came amid opposition from pro-life advocates, who argued that standard IVF practices involve the creation and destruction of human embryos, making taxpayer funding unethical. The industry has faced criticism for operating with little oversight, leading to the discard of tens of thousands of so-called “excess” embryos annually – essentially human beings who are killed.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., drew credit from conservative groups for blocking the measure, which some Senate Republicans had labeled a “poison pill” during negotiations.

“This victory shows us a sensitivity to that,” said Frank Pavone, national director of Priests for Life, referring to widespread moral concerns about IVF. “The people I’ve talked to in the administration have said very explicitly, you know, these concerns have been heard, these moral concerns.”

Kristi Hamrick, vice president of media and policy for Students for Life of America, called the removal a step toward better alternatives. “IVF is not an industry that deserves blanket support and funding. We can do better,” she said.

Hamrick added that the process destroys “far more lives than are allowed to live and thrive,” and that “more pre-born lives are lost in IVF than abortion.”

“Unquestioning financial support props up an industry known to prey on people’s hopes for a child while ending many lives,” Hamrick said. “The move to pull the funding for IVF will free up resources to seek better answers.”

Lila Rose, president of Live Action, thanked Johnson for “ensuring TRICARE was not used to subsidize this destruction of life.”

The bill’s passage caps a year of debate over fertility coverage, fueled in part by campaign pledges including one from President-elect Donald Trump to expand IVF access nationwide. Pro-life groups framed the removal not as a setback for military families but as a principled choice to prioritize methods that avoid embryo destruction.

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