President Joe Biden expressed strong criticism on Thursday regarding the recent Alabama Supreme Court ruling that deems frozen embryos “children.” The decision has prompted in vitro fertilization (IVF) clinics in the state to halt their operations, exposing them to potential wrongful death lawsuits.
In response to the court’s decision, two clinics have issued statements announcing temporary pauses, with reports indicating a third clinic may follow suit. The Alabama Supreme Court’s ruling originates from a lawsuit filed against a fertility clinic under the state’s 1872 Wrongful Death of a Minor Act.
Three couples filed the lawsuit after a patient gained unauthorized access to a cryopreservation room, causing the accidental dropping and destruction of several frozen embryos.
A lower court initially ruled that embryos could not be defined as “persons” or “children,” dismissing the wrongful death lawsuit. However, the Alabama Supreme Court, in a decision handed down last Friday, disagreed, asserting that the Wrongful Death of a Minor Act applies to all unborn children without limitation.
President Biden, in a statement, expressed his outrage, stating, “Disregarding women’s ability to make these decisions for themselves and their families is outrageous and unacceptable.” The temporary halts at IVF clinics come days after the Alabama Supreme Court’s decision.
Alabama is one of two dozen states that have either banned or restricted access to abortion following the 2022 US Supreme Court ruling that overturned the constitutional right to the procedure established in the case of Roe v. Wade.
President Biden emphasized, “Make no mistake: this is a direct result of the overturning of Roe v. Wade,” highlighting the broader implications of recent legal developments on reproductive rights.