Caroline Gleich, U.S. Senate hopeful, criticizes Republican push to prohibit in-vitro fertilization

Caroline Gleich criticized the recent budget proposal unveiled by the U.S. House of Representatives GOP Study Committee. Photo: Caroline for Utah.

PARK CITY, Utah – Caroline Gleich, a U.S. Senate candidate vying for Utah’s vacant Senate seat as a Democrat, criticized the recent budget proposal unveiled by the U.S. House of Representatives GOP Study Committee.

The proposal, released yesterday, sparked controversy for its inclusion of support for the ‘Life at Conception Act,’ a bill that aims to effectively prohibit all in-vitro fertilization across the country.

IVF, or In Vitro Fertilization, is a reproductive technology where eggs are extracted from a woman’s ovaries and fertilized with sperm in a laboratory.

The resulting embryos are then implanted into the woman’s uterus, with the goal of achieving pregnancy. This procedure is often used to help individuals or couples who are struggling with infertility to conceive a child.

Gleich, a Park City resident, professional ski mountaineer, and climate activist, voiced disapproval toward Utah’s delegation in the U.S. House of Representatives for endorsing the proposed budget.

This included John Curtis, who currently represents Utah’s 3rd District in the House of Representatives, and also a Republican candidate vying for Utah’s open Senate seat.

“Family values are Utah values, which is why it was so sickening to see that all of Utah’s congressional representatives, including John Curtis, signed on to a proposed bill that would give politicians control of Utahns’ reproductive decisions and effectively ban IVF nationwide,” Gleich said.

In a statement reflecting her personal journey, Gleich declared the proposal as government interference into personal decisions.

“This is personal to me because, when I was 36, I made the decision to freeze my eggs and embryos for fertility preservation,” Gleich said.

“There are many reasons why people undergo these treatments, but, no matter the circumstance, there is absolutely no place for the government in intimate, personal decisions like when and how to start a family. As Utah’s next senator, I will fiercely defend reproductive freedoms and family values, because Utah women are tired of being pawns in these increasingly extreme political games.”

Gleich’s campaign is centered around gender equity, social and environmental justice, and climate action, among other issues.

Gleich will face Archie Williams III in the Democratic primary field for the open Senate seat held on June 25th, while the Republican candidates are headlined by Congressmen John Curtis and former Speaker of the Utah House of Representatives Brad Wilson.