Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has hinted that the Republican Party could pursue a federal ban on abortion if Roe v. Wade is overturned.
The legal right to an abortion in the United States could be removed according to a report leaked last week that could see the right-wing Supreme Court strike down the 1973 abortion law.
If the overturn is made, that would mean 26 US states could immediately ban abortion or greatly restrict it.
However, McConnell, who has served as a senator of Kentucky since 1985, has told USA Today that the ban could be pursued on a federal level.
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He said: “If the leaked opinion became the final opinion, legislative bodies—not only at the state level but at the federal level—certainly could legislate in that area.
"If this were the final decision, that was the point that it should be resolved one way or another in the legislative process.
“So yeah, it’s possible.”
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Planned Parenthood Action tweeted in response: “Nationwide abortion ban: that’s the goal of anti-abortion politicians if they regain power in Washington this November.”
According to Axios, 61 per cent of US adults believe abortion should be legal, with 19 per cent believing it should be legal in all cases, with no exceptions.
A 2017 move by the Republican party to essentially change the rules of the Senate to lower the Supreme Court nominations threshold from 60 to 51 allowed the confirmation of conservative Justices Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, and Barrett.
The Supreme Court is now made up majorly of right-wing conservatives who are preparing to vote with Justice Samuel Alito to overturn Roe v. Wade.
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The Supreme Court is expected to hand down its final ruling on the case in June or July.
In 2018, Republicans attempted to pass Trump-backed legislation that would have banned abortion at the federal level after 20 weeks of pregnancy.
However, the vote received 51 votes, which was not enough to overcome the usual 60-vote filibuster.
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The Washington Post reported that leading anti-abortion groups have been undertaking secret meetings in Congress to plan a national strategy for a national ban on abortion should Supreme Court roll back abortion rights.
The leaked draft has led to mass protests to voice opposition to the efforts to overturn reproductive freedoms.
Hundreds gathered in Chicago, Atlanta, Houston and other cities, while also protesting outside the homes of Justice Roberts and Kavanaugh over the weekend.
Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker attended the rally in Chicago and vowed to protect abortion rights in the state.
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He said: “I'm proud Illinois is an island for reproductive freedom in the midwest.
"Our shores remain open for any person left marooned by these extremist politicians."
Topics: Mitch McConnell, Politics
Jayden Collins