This month, I reintroduced the Veteran Families Health Services Act of 2025. This comprehensive legislation would expand the fertility treatments and family-building services that are covered under servicemembers' and veterans' health care to include—among other things—in vitro fertilization (IVF) and adoption assistance, for servicemembers and veterans who are unable to conceive without assistance, and the option for individuals to freeze their eggs or sperm ahead of deployment to a combat zone.

The 2nd District is home to nearly 57,000 veterans, including many veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan. I am committed to ensuring that the women and men who have served our country in uniform get the resources and services they need – whether it be healthcare, housing, or career training.

While the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Department of Defense (DoD) currently offer some forms of fertility treatment and counseling, these offerings are extraordinarily limited and difficult for veterans to access, even when they are technically eligible—and far too often, these benefits fail to meet the needs of servicemembers and veterans.

America's women and men in uniform should have access to high-quality, affordable options to grow their families. Congress should take the long-overdue step of permanently overturning outdated limitations on IVF and other fertility treatments for veterans and service members by passing the Veteran Families Health Services Act of 2025. No one should be forced to choose between serving their country and starting their family.

More soon,

Rick