House Panel Advances FACE Act Repeal Bill
Critics say law was used to target pro-life community
“Free Americans should never live in fear of their government targeting them because of their beliefs,” Texas Congressman Chip Roy declared Tuesday after a stunning vote. The Republican’s comments came in response to the House Judiciary Committee voting 13-10 along party lines to advance his bill to repeal the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act—a law he says has become a cudgel against pro-life activists.
Passed in 1994, the FACE Act was intended to shield abortion clinics and their patients from threats, violence, and blockades. But pro-life leaders and Republicans pointed to instances in which they allege the Biden administration weaponized the statute.
Critics cite Department of Justice prosecutions of peaceful protesters, including elderly women like 89-year-old Eva Edl, a concentration camp survivor convicted for praying outside a Michigan clinic. She was known for praying and singing hymns on the sidewalk.
Another instance of prosecution under the Biden adminsitration includes Paul Vaughn, a father of 11, convicted in connection with a peaceful sit-in at a Tennessee abortion clinic. In a highly publicized incident, he was taken into custody at his home by an FBI SWAT team in front of his children. He was sentenced to three years in prison.
97% of cases against pro-life activists
Roy’s office says 97% of FACE Act cases from 1994 to 2024 targeted pro-life activists, reports the Washington Times.
Kristan Hawkins, president of Students for Life Action, celebrated the committee’s vote. “The FACE Act has been twisted into a tool to jail grandmas and peaceful protesters while ignoring attacks on pro-life pregnancy centers,” she said in a statement.
The bill’s path forward is uncertain. Senate Democrats are expected to block the measure. The Biden administration opposed repeal, but with President Donald Trump back in office—and having already pardoned 23 FACE Act convicts in January—pro-life advocates believe momentum is on their side. But with Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) introducing companion legislation, Roy and his allies believe momentum is on their side.
The FACE Act Repeal Act now heads to the House Rules Committee. For Roy, the stakes are high: “This is about protecting Americans’ most basic rights, regardless of who’s in power,” he said.
This bill has gained widespread support by family and pro-life organizations including, the Thomas More Society, Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee, Advancing American Freedom, Citizens for Renewing America, Progressive Anti-Abortion Uprising, Catholic Vote, Students for Life Action, Family Research Center, Live Action, Americans United for Life, and the Susan B. Anthony List.
–Dwight Widaman | Metro Voice
