GOP leader: Republicans will 'move day one' to enact federal abortion law after Supreme Court ruling

Republican House Minority Whip Steve Scalise (LA) confirmed on Wednesday that Republicans will "move day one" to enact a federal abortion law if the U.S. Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade.

After Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) suggested that a federal abortion ban was possible, a reporter asked Scalise if he supported stripping women's rights nationwide.

"I hope that the ruling comes out soon and I hope it's the ruling that was leaked," Scalise replied. "But if you think about where we are, we're a party who defends life and we would celebrate a ruling that allows elected leaders to defend life and debate in open public what those laws should be in every state and in Washington."

"Clearly, we will move day one if we get the majority on the Born-Alive Act so states like New York can't murder a baby born outside the womb and call it abortion," he added.

While Scalise did not rule out a complete federal abortion ban, the Born-Alive Act would prevent physicians from terminating babies that survived abortions. According to FactCheck.org, the measure is unnecessary because it is already illegal to kill babies after birth in every state.

Former President George W. Bush signed a similarly redundant "born-alive" bill in 2003.

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