Moderate Democratic Sen. Bob Casey says he'll vote for bill to guard abortion rights

May 10 (UPI) -- Sen. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania, one of the few Democrats in the upper chamber with a more conservative view on abortion, said Tuesday that he'll support codifying the Roe vs. Wade decision in federal law.

Casey is considered a moderate Democrat on the issue of abortion and has previously been hesitant about supporting efforts to codify legalized abortion at the federal level.

In a statement Tuesday, Casey said that he would support the effort in view of a leaked Supreme Court opinion last week that signaled the Supreme Court is preparing to strike down the court's ruling in Roe vs. Wade almost 50 years ago. That 1973 decision legalized abortion nationwide.

Casey said he made the decision after the leaked opinion and reports that congressional Republicans might seek a federal ban on abortions after six weeks.

"The real question of the moment is: Do you support a categorical ban on abortion?" Casey asked in a statement posted to Twitter.

"During my time in public office, I have never voted for -- nor do I support -- such a ban."

An abortion-rights activist holds her infant daughter outside the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., on May 3 after the leak of an opinion that indicates the high court will overturn Roe vs. Wade. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI

Casey's commitment came one day before Senate Democrats plan to bring a bill to a floor vote on codifying the Roe vs. Wade decision in federal law -- a move that, if successful, would protect legalized abortion regardless of what the Supreme Court decides.

While Casey worked to advance the Women's Health Protection Act this year, he also supported a federal ban on abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy as well as the Hyde Amendment, which bars federal funding for abortions.

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer promised the vote on Wednesday, although it faces a monumental uphill climb and is not expected to pass.

The bill would need 60 votes to dodge a filibuster in the Senate and there are only 50 Democrats or Democratic-voting members in the chamber. That means the bill would need 10 Republican supporters, none of whom have yet come forward to support the effort. President Joe Biden has already promised that he'd sign the bill.

Wednesday's Senate vote, then, will be more of a formal referendum on the issue -- publicly underscoring which senators support a woman's right to choose and which senators oppose it.