Republican lawmakers are pushing to repeal the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act following the conviction of pro-life activists for violating the act during a peaceful protest at a Tennessee abortion facility.
The activists face potential prison sentences, prompting calls for the repeal of the act by Rep. Chip Roy and Sen. Mike Lee.
Rep. Chip Roy wrote, “A pro-life family is getting the book thrown at them over a peaceful protest because Biden’s weaponized DOJ using a federal law that shouldn’t be on the books.”
A pro-life family is getting the book thrown at them over a peaceful protest because Biden's weaponized DOJ using a federal law that shouldn't be on the books.
Rep. Roy’s FACE Act Repeal Act (H.R. 5577) would END this easily-abused law once and for all.https://t.co/4HgpjCZMlT
— Rep. Chip Roy Press Office (@RepChipRoy) January 31, 2024
“Rep. Roy’s FACE Act Repeal Act (H.R. 5577) would END this easily-abused law once and for all,” his statement continued.
Rep. Roy said, “Free Americans should never live in fear of their government targeting them because of their beliefs. Yet, Biden’s Department of Justice has brazenly weaponized the FACE Act against normal, everyday Americans across the political spectrum, simply because they are pro-life,”
“Our Constitution separates power between the federal government and the states for a reason, and we ignore that safeguard at our own peril. The FACE Act is an unconstitutional federal takeover of state police powers; it must be repealed,” insisted the lawmaker.
Criticism has been directed at the Department of Justice for allegedly targeting pro-life protesters while neglecting crimes against pro-life and religious institutions, raising concerns about the enforcement and fairness of the FACE Act.
Sen. Mike Lee said, “The Constitution reserves general police power to the states, which Congress infringed upon when it passed the FACE Act.”
“Joe Biden’s DOJ has weaponized this constitutionally dubious law against pro-life sidewalk counselors while failing to protect pregnancy centers and churches from arson, vandalism, and violence. It’s time to repeal the FACE Act once and for all,” he continued.
Sen. Lee wrote, “The FACE Act criminalizes an odd assortment of offenses, including blocking access to and vandalizing (1) abortion clinics, (2) places of worship, and (3) pregnancy centers.”
“How many prosecutions has Team Biden brought in the second category? Zero. Not even one,” he added.
“The Biden DOJ has enforced the FACE Act a few times in the second category (pregnancy centers). But cases involving pregnancy centers—which provide pregnant women with free counseling about non-abortion alternatives—remain infrequent relative to criminal acts against them,” explained the Utah Republican.
he FACE Act, it seems, is being used by DOJ to punish pro-life protesters but not their pro-abortion counterparts,” wrote Lee.
“In enacting the FACE Act, moreover, Congress relied on now difficult-to-defend readings of both the Commerce Clause and the Fourteen Amendment. I suspect most of the Republicans who voted for the FACE Act in 1994 would’ve voted differently had they anticipated the one-sided manner in which it would be enforced by DOJ,” he concluded.
