“Nationwide abortion ban: that’s the goal of anti-abortion politicians if they regain power in Washington this November,” warned Planned Parenthood Action.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has signaled that the GOP could pursue a federal ban on abortion if the right-wing Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade and Republicans regain control of Congress in the fast-approaching midterm elections.

“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,” McConnell (R-Ky.) told USA Today in an interview late last week, days after the publication of Justice Samuel Alito’s draft ruling in a Mississippi abortion-ban case sparked nationwide outrage.

“No one should be surprised at what the leak of Alito’s opinion taking away abortion rights revealed. There is a plan, and this is just one part of it.”

“If this were the final decision, that was the point that it should be resolved one way or another in the legislative process,” McConnell said of a federal abortion ban, which polling suggests would be broadly unpopular with the U.S. electorate. “So yeah, it’s possible.”

While the Republican leader claimed he would not be willing to weaken the legislative filibuster to push through a federal abortion ban, the GOP’s 2017 decision to nuke the filibuster for Supreme Court nominees paved the way for the confirmation of Justices Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett—each of whom is reportedly preparing to vote with Alito to end Roe.

“No one should be surprised at what the leak of Alito’s opinion taking away abortion rights revealed. There is a plan, and this is just one part of it,” Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) said Saturday. “This is why Mitch McConnell refused to let the Senate consider Judge Merrick Garland.”

“This is why they eliminated the filibuster for Gorsuch,” Whitehouse added. “This is why they pressured the FBI to tank the Kavanaugh investigation. This is why they broke the ‘Garland rule’ to stuff Barrett on the court mid-election. This is why $580 million was spent to capture the court. This is why the Federalist Society was the turnstile for Supreme Court nominees.”

The Supreme Court is expected to hand down its final ruling in the case, which is centered on a sweeping abortion ban in Mississippi, in late June or early July.

McConnell’s remarks to USA Today came as Senate Democrats geared up for a possible Wednesday vote on the Women’s Health Protection Act, legislation that would codify into federal law the right to abortion care free from medically unnecessary restrictions.

The bill is certain to fail if Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) remains opposed to the measure and Democrats refuse to eliminate or reform the legislative filibuster.

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  abortion, ban, congress, legislation, mitch mcconnell, supreme court