1 week ago
3
FIRST ON FOX: More than 20 House Republicans are backing a measure that would repeal the instrumentality utilized by erstwhile President Biden's medication to prosecute dozens of pro-life activists.
Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, is starring the effort to repeal the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances, oregon FACE Act, which Republicans reason has been selectively invoked to people pro-lifers who person protested extracurricular of termination clinics. He shared information his bureau obtained from the Justice Department nether Attorney General Merrick Garland that showed 97% of FACE Act prosecutions successful the past 20 years were against termination opponents.
"Americans conscionable spent the past 4 years being targeted by a weaponized justness system. The FACE Act was 1 of the superior weapons of maltreatment – being utilized to politically target, arrest, and jailhouse pro-life Americans for speaking retired and lasting up for life," Roy said successful a statement.
TRUMP URGED TO PARDON 21 PRO-LIFE PROTESTERS PROSECUTED BY BIDEN'S JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
"Now that we person a Republican trifecta successful the House, Senate, and White House, Congress should determination rapidly to repeal this instrumentality and guarantee that nary aboriginal president tin weaponize it against pro-lifers ever again."
The FACE Act makes it a national transgression to usage "threats of force, obstruction oregon inflict spot harm intended to interfere with reproductive wellness attraction services." The 1994 instrumentality has been utilized by President Biden's Justice Department to aggressively prosecute pro-life activists since the autumn of Roe v. Wade, a landmark termination rights case, successful June 2022.
It has seldom been utilized against those who person attacked pro-life organizations and gestation assets centers. According to Roy's office, determination person been astatine slightest 90 specified attacks since May 2022, erstwhile draught substance from the Supreme Court's repeal of Roe v. Wade leaked to the public. The Biden medication prosecuted lone 5 individuals for attacks connected pro-life facilities, portion galore incidents targeting Catholic churches and pro-life centers were ne'er prosecuted.
In contrast, FACE Act prosecutions of pro-life activists similar Mark Houck, who was aboriginal acquitted, inflamed the close and prompted accusations that the Biden DOJ was some overzealous and politically biased against termination opponents. A SWAT squad of astir 25 radical arrested Houck, a Catholic begetter of seven, successful beforehand of his children astatine their Pennsylvania location successful October 2021.
Conservative groups person petitioned President Donald Trump to pardon astatine slightest 21 different pro-life activists who had demonstrated astatine termination facilities.
PRO-LIFE ACTIVISTS' YEARS-LONG PRISON SENTENCE SHOCKS SOCIAL MEDIA: ‘TWO-TIERED JUSTICE SYSTEM’
Ten defendants convicted of violating the FACE Act received situation sentences ranging from 10 months to 57 months for their information successful a 2020 "blockade" of an termination session successful Washington, D.C. In May, Paulette Harlow, 75, was issued a 2-year situation sentence, portion Lauren Handy, 30, was sentenced to astir 5 years successful prison.
Trump has criticized the Biden medication for prosecuting these pro-life protesters and signaled helium would see granting them pardons.
Tom McClusky, manager of authorities affairs for CatholicVote, called the prosecutions of pro-lifers nether Biden "unfair" and praised Roy for introducing the repeal bill.
"Now that we person a President who volition motion the measure into instrumentality it is clip to walk Rep. Chip Roy's FACE Act Repeal," McClusky said successful a statement.
FOUR MORE PRO-LIFE PROTESTERS FACE PRISON TIME AFTER BEING CONVICTED FOR VIOLATING FACE ACT
Students for Life Action besides called connected Congress to repeal the FACE Act, labeling the instrumentality "a limb for the Department of Justice to usage against those who peacefully protestation against the quality rights maltreatment of our time – abortion."
"In ignoring convulsive pro-abortion protesters to absorption connected peaceful pro-life supplication warriors, the hypocrisy couldn’t beryllium clearer. The FACE Act represents viewpoint discrimination, arsenic punishments are supersized due to the fact that of the beliefs of those targeted by the government. This maltreatment of prosecutorial pro-abortion aggression indispensable end," said Kristan Hawkins, President of Students for Life Action & Students for Life of America.
The White House did not instantly respond to a petition for comment. Roy expressed his anticipation that the Congress and medication would enactment rapidly to beforehand his measure and pardon those helium believes were unfairly treated.
"While President Trump and his squad are already accelerated astatine enactment reversing the harm of the J6 governmental prosecutions and persecutions done pardons and commutations, I americium hopeful those targeted nether the FACE Act volition beryllium fixed akin relief," Roy said. "But importantly, we successful Congress request to bash our portion to destruct the laws utilized for the weaponization, including the FACE Act. "
"No much excuses, let's get it done."
English (US) ·