Former Vice President Mike Pence’s nonprofit conservative coalition, Americans Advancing Freedom (AAF), is calling on House Republicans to end the weaponization of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act, a law signed by President Bill Clinton in 1994. The FACE Act criminalizes interference with individuals seeking or providing abortion services, such as blocking access to clinics or threatening violence. President Donald Trump had previously pardoned pro-life activists charged under the FACE Act, stating they should not have been prosecuted. Pence’s AAF is urging Congress to repeal the law, accusing the Biden administration of using it to target pro-life Americans.
Congressman Chip Roy is leading House Republicans in efforts to repeal the FACE Act, citing the Biden administration’s alleged weaponization of the law against pro-life activists. The AAF memo sent to Republican members of the House Judiciary Committee argues that pro-life Americans have faced unjust treatment under the Biden administration, including SWAT team raids and lengthy prison sentences. Peter Breen, an attorney with the Thomas More Society, testified in a House Judiciary Subcommittee hearing that the DOJ abused its power against pro-life advocates under Biden, while ignoring acts of violence against pro-life organizations.
Conservative lawmakers view the repeal of the FACE Act as a significant step in the pro-life movement, following Trump’s revocation of executive orders expanding abortion services. In January, Rep. Chip Roy introduced legislation to repeal the law, citing data showing that 97% of FACE Act prosecutions targeted pro-life individuals between 1994 and 2024. The bill has gained support from 32 co-sponsors in the House and a companion bill was introduced in the Senate by Sen. Mike Lee. The Trump administration’s revocation of previous executive orders expanding abortion services has shifted the focus of conservative lawmakers towards repealing the FACE Act.
Under the Biden administration, the DOJ initiated at least 15 criminal cases under the FACE Act involving approximately 46 pro-life defendants since January 2021. Victims in all but one case were abortion-rights supporters, leading to accusations that the law is being used selectively to target pro-life activists. Critics argue that the Biden administration engaged in a systematic campaign to abuse federal power against pro-life advocates while ignoring acts of violence against pro-life organizations. The efforts to repeal the FACE Act represent a response to what conservatives view as an unfair targeting of pro-life advocates under the current administration.
The AAF’s memo to House Republicans highlights the need to support President Trump’s initiative to end the weaponization of government by repealing the FACE Act entirely. The Biden administration’s use of the law to prosecute pro-life activists has raised concerns among conservative lawmakers, leading to calls for reform. Efforts led by Rep. Chip Roy and supported by other lawmakers seek to address what they perceive as injustices faced by pro-life individuals under the current administration. The push to repeal the FACE Act marks a significant development in the ongoing debate over abortion rights and the legal protections afforded to pro-life activists.
