{"id":2166352,"date":"2024-02-02T16:18:02","date_gmt":"2024-02-02T21:18:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/republicans-call-for-repeal-of-weaponized-face-act-after-conviction-of-peaceful-pro-lifers\/"},"modified":"2024-02-02T16:19:42","modified_gmt":"2024-02-02T21:19:42","slug":"republicans-call-for-repeal-of-weaponized-face-act-after-conviction-of-peaceful-pro-lifers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/republicans-call-for-repeal-of-weaponized-face-act-after-conviction-of-peaceful-pro-lifers\/","title":{"rendered":"Republicans demand repeal of &#8216;weaponized&#8217; FACE Act following conviction of peaceful pro-life activists"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">26<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Frepublicans-call-for-repeal-of-weaponized-face-act-after-conviction-of-peaceful-pro-lifers%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2166352&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>Republicans Call for Repeal of FACE Act\u200c as\u200d Pro-Lifers Face Prison \u200cTime<\/h2>\n<p>Republicans in Congress\u2062 have continued to call for the repeal \u200cof the FACE Act after six pro-lifers face over a decade in prison after being convicted of \u200bFACE Act-related charges in \u2062federal court in Nashville.<\/p>\n<p>The lawmakers have said in recent days \u200dthat the FACE\u200d Act, a Clinton-era law that criminalizes the use of force or threats of force that prevent someone from accessing an abortion \u2064facility, has \u200dbeen weaponized against pro-life activists. The six pro-lifers convicted \u200don Tuesday\u2064 face hundreds \u2062of thousands of dollars \u200cin fines and up to 10.5 years in prison after the\u2063 Biden administration accused them of conspiring against rights secured by the FACE Act.<\/p>\n<p>On \u200dFriday, <strong>Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX)<\/strong> urged his colleagues in the House to take up a bill he introduced\u2064 last year\u200d that would repeal the FACE Act.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">&#8220;The TN case\u2062 is part of a\u200b disturbing pattern of overcharging and using absurd amounts of law-enforcement resources to intimidate pro-lifers.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\ud83d\udcaf%\u2014we\u2062 must end this weaponized law NOW<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/HouseGOP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@HouseGOP<\/a> \u200cshould take up Rep. Roy&#8217;s FACE Act Repeal(HR577) \u200dimmediately <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/GCx0JKqKGq\">https:\/\/t.co\/GCx0JKqKGq<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Rep. \u200bChip Roy Press Office (@RepChipRoy) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RepChipRoy\/status\/1753436516582314274?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">February \u200b2, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lee.senate.gov\/services\/files\/397835B6-A9C5-440F-A691-B52FE1AA50D9\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">legislation<\/a>, which was sponsored by <strong>Sen. Mike Lee \u200b(R-UT)<\/strong> in the Senate, \u2062was referred to as the\u200b \u201cRestoring the First Amendment and Right to\u200c Peaceful Civil Disobedience \u200cAct.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFree Americans should never\u2062 live\u200c in fear of their government targeting them because of\u2064 their beliefs. Yet, Biden\u2019s Department of Justice has brazenly weaponized the FACE Act against normal, everyday Americans \u2063across the political spectrum, simply because they are pro-life. Our\u200d Constitution separates power between the federal government and the states for a reason, and we\u200d ignore that safeguard at our own peril,\u201d Roy <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lee.senate.gov\/2023\/10\/sen-lee-rep-roy-team-up-to-repeal-the-face-act#:~:text=October%204%2C%202023,protect%20access%20to%20abortion%20facilities\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">said<\/a> last year when introducing the measure. \u201cThe FACE\u2064 Act is an unconstitutional federal takeover of state police powers; it \u200cmust be repealed.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Other Republicans in the House have echoed support for taking up Roy\u2019s legislation after the Nashville\u2062 verdict, including Freedom Caucus Chair\u2062 <strong>Bob Good \u200b(R-VA)<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Being jailed \u2063for singing\u2063 hymns and trying to\u2063 protect innocent babies? I strongly support <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/reproy?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@RepRoy<\/a>&#8216;s FACE Act \u2063Repeal Act \u2063to protect these individuals from injustice. \u2063 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/cSY5F5650t\">https:\/\/t.co\/cSY5F5650t<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Congressman Bob Good \u200c(@RepBobGood) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RepBobGood\/status\/1752764286382817422?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">January 31, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>\u201cProud \u2062to cosponsor <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RepChipRoy\"><strong>@RepChipRoy<\/strong><\/a>\u2019s FACE Act Repeal Act.\u2064 This law has been abused by the Biden \u2063administration to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/house-republicans-move-to-repeal-law-that-bidens-doj-has-weaponized-to-imprison-pro-lifers\/\" title=\"House Republicans seek to repeal law used by Biden's DOJ to imprison pro-lifers, calling it 'weaponized'.\">target peaceful pro-life activists<\/a>,\u201d Rep. Mark Green (R-TN) posted on X.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Proud to cosponsor \u2064 <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RepChipRoy?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@RepChipRoy<\/a>\u2019s FACE Act Repeal Act. This law has been abused by \u2062the Biden administration to target peaceful pro-life activists. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/IbkihOp8CQ\">https:\/\/t.co\/IbkihOp8CQ<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Rep.\u2063 Mark\u2062 Green (@RepMarkGreen) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RepMarkGreen\/status\/1753116703116996621?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">February\u200b 1, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Lee \u2063noted on X that the FACE Act, which\u200c is also supposed to be used to\u200d protect churches and \u200bpregnancy centers, appears\u200c to only be used to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/the-fbi-has-indicted-22-pro-life-protesters-and-zero-pregnancy-center-firebombers\/\" title=\"The FBI Has Indicted 22 Pro-Life Protesters and Zero Pregnancy Center Firebombers\">target pro-life activists<\/a> and not pro-abortion \u200bactivists.<\/p>\n<p><b><a href=\"https:\/\/onelink.to\/dwapp\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" aria-describedby=\"sk-tooltip-9096\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/onelink.to\/dwapp&#038;source=gmail&#038;ust=1706370777182000&#038;usg=AOvVaw1rZs278QeRErxuxwtCwcq8\">CLICK HERE TO \u200bGET THE \u200cDAILYWIRE+ APP<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n<p>\u201cBottom line: \u2064the Biden administration incarcerates people for praying at abortion clinics \u200bwhile ignoring violent acts at churches and pregnancy centers. So many camels.\u200b So much obsessive attention paid to harmless things mistaken for gnats,\u201d Lee <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/BasedMikeLee\/status\/1752468422225743939?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1752468422225743939%7Ctwgr%5E89b339f5d4217e2c6f3dc847f36f7b2ef65690e0%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&#038;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.breitbart.com%2Fpolitics%2F2024%2F02%2F01%2Frepublicans-renew-call-to-repeal-face-act-as-more-pro-life-activists-face-prison-time%2F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">said<\/a> on Tuesday.<\/p>\n<p>The push comes after pro-lifers \u200cChet Gallagher of Tennessee,\u2063 Coleman Boyd of Mississippi, Heather Idoni of Michigan, Cal Zastrow of Michigan, Paul Vaughn of\u2062 Tennessee, and \u200dDennis Green\u200c of Virginia were\u200b convicted of conspiracy against rights and \u2064violating the FACE Act.<\/p>\n<p>The six were indicted by the Department of Justice after <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/news\/jury-deliberates-fate-of-six-pro-lifers-facing-11-years-in-prison-over-peaceful-protest\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">a protest<\/a> that took place in a hallway outside of\u2062 a Mount Juliet abortion provider on March 5,\u2062 2021.\u2063 On that day, a group of demonstrators gathered\u200c on the second floor\u200b of an office building in the hallway outside the Carafem Health Center\u2063 Clinic. The group prayed, sang hymns, and urged \u2062women showing up to the clinic not to get abortions.<\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> \u2064In what ways do conservatives \u200dview the recent\u2063 convictions of pro-lifers in Nashville as an infringement on their constitutional rights, and how does this shape their perspective on the need to repeal the FACE Act?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  Rted by prominent pro-choice organizations, was originally intended to protect access to abortion facilities and\u2062 ensure the safety of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/oath-of-office-biden-hasnt-codified-roe-v-wade-but-has-backed-abortion-through-executive-orders\/\" title=\"Biden supports abortion via executive orders, but hasn't made Roe v. Wade a law\">individuals seeking reproductive healthcare<\/a>. However,\u200b he argued that it has \u200bbeen wielded against pro-life\u2063 activists to stifle their\u200b freedom of speech and assembly.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe FACE Act was meant to protect women seeking abortions from violence and \u200bintimidation, not\u2063 to\u2063 criminalize peaceful protest and the exercise of First Amendment rights.\u200b We must restore the original intent of this law and ensure \u2064that it is not weaponized against those with differing beliefs,\u201d\u200c Senator Lee stated.<\/p>\n<p>The conviction of the six pro-lifers in Nashville has sparked outrage \u200damong\u200c conservatives, who view it as an infringement\u200b on their \u200cconstitutional\u2062 rights. They argue that these individuals were simply exercising their right to peaceful protest and were unfairly \u2062targeted by the Biden administration.<\/p>\n<p>In response, Republicans are pushing for the repeal \u2064of the FACE Act, believing it to be an \u2064unconstitutional overreach of federal power. They argue that the regulation of activities around \u2062abortion clinics should be left to the states, as outlined in the Constitution.<\/p>\n<p>Proponents of\u2062 the repeal, such as Rep. Chip\u2062 Roy, argue that the FACE Act has \u2063been \u2062used as a tool of intimidation by \u2064the government, \u200dstating, &#8220;The\u200d TN \u200bcase is part of a\u200b disturbing pattern of overcharging and using absurd amounts of law-enforcement resources to intimidate pro-lifers.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>These Republicans are championing the &#8220;Restoring the\u200b First Amendment and Right to Peaceful Civil Disobedience Act,&#8221; introduced by Sen. Mike Lee, which seeks to repeal the FACE Act and uphold freedom of speech and assembly.<\/p>\n<p>In light of \u200bthe recent conviction and the strong support from Republicans in Congress, it remains to be \u2062seen\u200d whether the\u200d repeal of the FACE Act\u2064 will gain\u2064 traction or face opposition from pro-choice advocates\u200c who \u2063argue that \u200dthe\u200d law is necessary to protect individuals seeking reproductive healthcare.<\/p>\n<p>As the\u2063 debate continues, the fate\u2063 of the six pro-lifers, facing substantial fines and lengthy prison sentences, hangs in the balance. Their cases have sparked a renewed discussion about\u200d the limits of protest rights and the role of the federal government in regulating access \u200bto abortion facilities.<\/p>\n<p>Regardless of one&#8217;s stance on the issue of abortion, it\u200b is crucial to \u2064uphold\u2063 the principles of free speech\u200d and\u200c peaceful assembly that are fundamental to the American democratic system. The repeal of the FACE Act could\u2063 provide an opportunity to reassess the balance between protecting reproductive rights and safeguarding the \u200drights of individuals\u200c to express their beliefs.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Republicans in Congress are persistently urging the repeal of the FACE Act. Six pro-lifers were recently sentenced to over a decade in prison for FACE Act violations. These lawmakers argue that the Clinton-era law, which prohibits the use of force, should be abolished<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":200,"featured_media":2166353,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/dw-wp-production.imgix.net\/2024\/02\/GettyImages-1810324783.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[541],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2166352","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-daily-wire"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/dw-wp-production.imgix.net\/2024\/02\/GettyImages-1810324783.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2166352","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/200"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2166352"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2166352\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2166353"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2166352"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2166352"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2166352"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}