FORSYTH, Georgia — Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN) told Breitbart News in an exclusive interview Monday that stripping the Hyde Amendment is the “first issue on the chopping block” if Democrats gain control of the Senate.

Banks spoke to Breitbart News at the Meadows Gun Club in Forsyth at an event sponsored by the Save America Club and led by Club for Growth Action President David McIntosh.

The Hoosier conservative told Breitbart News that Republicans have managed to stop several radical leftist bills due to the Senate Republican majority.

“There’s a lot at stake; a lot of people think Democrats in the House are just pass messaging bills to pander to their base. Those messaging bills will get passed by the Senate and get signed by a Democrat president if he [Joe Biden] makes his way to the White House,” Banks said.

Banks said that he wants to tell Georgians that “America is counting” on them to reelect Sens. Kelly Loeffler (R-GA) and David Perdue (R-GA).

He said that “this is so important, there is so much at stake and, what I’ve seen first hand on the floor of the House is that these radical socialist Democrats want to transform America.”

Banks said that should the Democrats gain the Senate majority by electing Georgia Senate candidates Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock, Democrats would move swiftly to eliminate the Hyde Amendment.

The Hyde Amendment blocks federal Medicaid funding for abortions except for when the pregnancy might endanger the patient’s life or when the pregnancy resulted from either rape or incest.

Banks said, “stripping the Hyde Amendment is one of their very first priorities … the Hyde Amendment has been bipartisan for almost 50 years. Presidents like Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, and Joe Biden, even a few years ago, was in favor of the Hyde Amendment. And the first issue on the chopping block is to remove the Hyde Amendment.”

Leading House Democrats have discussed the alleged urgency with which they want to eliminate the Hyde Amendment.

Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), who will chair the House Appropriations Committee in January, said last week that the Hyde Amendment is a “discriminatory policy” because, allegedly, many minority women lack the funding to pay for an abortion.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) said last week that the House will vote on repealing the Hyde Amendment in 2021 and said “it’s long overdue” to repeal the Hyde Amendment.

Banks noted that should Democrats succeed in eliminating the Hyde Amendment, then American taxpayers would be funding abortions.

“Rosa De Lauro was chosen to lead the House Appropriations Committee because she pledged to get rid of the Hyde Amendment to her colleagues when she ran for it,” Banks said.

He added that Ossoff and Warnock “have made no bones about it they’re pro-abortion and they would be in favor of eliminating that too.”

During one interview in November, Warnock said that abortion is “consistent” with his philosophy as a Christian minister.

Banks said, “So, that means that every taxpayer in America, whether you’re pro-abortion or not, that means your tax dollars would go to fund abortions.”

Sean Moran is a congressional reporter for Breitbart News. Follow him on Twitter @SeanMoran3.