House Republicans Push To Repeal FACE Act Used Against Pro-Life Advocates

Rep. Chip Roy of Texas, with the backing of 25 Republican lawmakers, has introduced legislation aimed at repealing the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act. The law, enacted in 1994, has been used to prosecute pro-life activists, with critics arguing it has been weaponized by the Biden administration.

Roy highlighted that between 1994 and 2024, 97% of FACE Act prosecutions targeted pro-life individuals who engaged in peaceful demonstrations outside abortion facilities. He accused the Biden administration of using the law to silence those who oppose abortion while failing to address attacks on pregnancy centers and churches.

With Republicans in control of Congress and the White House, Roy called on lawmakers to act swiftly to repeal the act and prevent it from being used to target pro-life Americans in the future. He said the law’s selective enforcement has turned it into a tool of political persecution rather than justice.

Sen. Mike Lee of Utah is leading the charge in the Senate by introducing a companion bill. Lee has argued that the law was unconstitutional from the start and that its original purpose no longer applies after the Supreme Court’s Dobbs v. Jackson ruling in 2022.

Pro-life groups, including Students for Life Action and the Thomas More Society, have voiced support for repealing the law, citing concerns that it violates constitutional rights and unfairly penalizes those who peacefully advocate for the unborn.

Other lawmakers supporting the repeal include Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, Andy Biggs of Arizona and Troy Downing of Montana. Conservative groups are also urging President Donald Trump to issue pardons for pro-life activists convicted under the act.