As the Harris campaign introduces voters to Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate, one key biographical detail stands out: Governor Tim Walz and his wife, Gwen, underwent the in-vitro fertilization process to welcome their daughter, Hope.
The Biden-Harris campaign has placed a strong emphasis on the fight for reproductive rights, with Harris taking a leading role in advocating for these rights in contrast to Republicans.
In a press release announcing the pick, the Harris campaign highlighted Governor Walz and Mrs. Walz's struggle with fertility challenges and their decision to have their daughter, Hope, through reproductive health care like IVF. This personal experience further solidified Governor Walz's commitment to ensuring that all Americans have access to such care.
Earlier this year, Alabama’s Supreme Court made a controversial ruling that classified frozen embryos as children and held individuals accountable for wrongful death if they destroyed them. This decision raised concerns among reproductive rights advocates about the potential impact on infertility treatments. While the state’s legislature took steps to protect IVF following the ruling, Democrats argue that this case is just one example of the broader threats to access to reproductive health care across the country.
