Chip Roy leads House Republicans in effort to repeal law used by Biden administration to prosecute pro-lifers

Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, is leading the effort to repeal the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances, or FACE Act, which Republicans argue has been selectively invoked to target pro-lifers who have protested outside of abortion clinics. He shared data his office obtained from the Justice Department under Attorney General Merrick Garland that showed 97% of FACE Act prosecutions in the last 20 years were against abortion opponents. 

"Americans just spent the last four years being targeted by a weaponized justice system. The FACE Act was one of the primary weapons of abuse - being used to politically target, arrest, and jail pro-life Americans for speaking out and standing up for life," Roy said in a statement. 

"Now that we have a Republican trifecta in the House, Senate, and White House, Congress should move quickly to repeal this law and ensure that no future president can weaponize it against pro-lifers ever again." 

It has rarely been used against those who have attacked pro-life organizations and pregnancy resource centers. According to Roy's office, there have been at least 90 such attacks since May 2022, when draft text from the Supreme Court's repeal of Roe v. Wade leaked to the public. The Biden administration prosecuted only five individuals for attacks on pro-life facilities, while many incidents targeting Catholic churches and pro-life centers were never prosecuted.

In contrast, FACE Act prosecutions of pro-life activists like Mark Houck, who was later acquitted, inflamed the right and prompted accusations that the Biden DOJ was both overzealous and politically biased against abortion opponents. A SWAT team of around 25 people arrested Houck, a Catholic father of seven, in front of his children at their Pennsylvania home in October 2021. 

Trump has criticized the Biden administration for prosecuting these pro-life protesters and signaled he would consider granting them pardons.

Tom McClusky, director of government affairs for CatholicVote, called the prosecutions of pro-lifers under Biden "unfair" and praised Roy for introducing the repeal bill.

"Now that we have a President who will sign the bill into law it is time to pass Rep. Chip Roy's FACE Act Repeal," McClusky said in a statement. 

Students for Life Action also called on Congress to repeal the FACE Act, labeling the law "a weapon for the Department of Justice to use against those who peacefully protest against the human rights abuse of our day - abortion." 

"In ignoring violent pro-abortion protesters to focus on peaceful pro-life prayer warriors, the hypocrisy couldn't be clearer. The FACE Act represents viewpoint discrimination, as punishments are supersized because of the beliefs of those targeted by the government. This abuse of prosecutorial pro-abortion aggression must end," said Kristan Hawkins, President of Students for Life Action & Students for Life of America. 

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Roy expressed his hope that the Congress and administration would work quickly to advance his bill and pardon those he believes were unfairly treated. 

"While President Trump and his team are already fast at work reversing the damage of the J6 political prosecutions and persecutions through pardons and commutations, I am hopeful those targeted under the FACE Act will be given similar relief," Roy said. "But importantly, we in Congress need to do our part to eliminate the laws used for the weaponization, including the FACE Act. " 

"No more excuses, let's get it done."