American Family Association Action (AFA Action), is a non-profit 501(c)(4) organization dedicated to advancing biblical, family values in society and government by educating and influencing public policy. AFA Action is also the Governmental Affairs Affiliate of American Family Association (AFA).
TUPELO, Miss. — AFA Action calls on House Speaker Mike Johnson to urgently prioritize repealing the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act in light of escalating violence and harassment against pro-life and conservative Americans, including September’s shocking assault on Charlie Kirk.
In a letter delivered to the Speaker, AFA Action CEO Walker Wildmon, alongside more than 50 pro-life, family-policy and religious-liberty leaders, emphasized that the FACE Act has been weaponized far beyond its original scope and now serves as a tool for targeting peaceful citizens. The letter highlights years of abusive prosecutions, including the targeting of parents, sidewalk counselors and elderly citizens whose only “crime” was peacefully living out their deeply held convictions.
AFA Action: The FACE Act must go
“The violence we saw in September against Charlie Kirk only reinforces what we’ve been saying for years,” said Wildmon. “The FACE Act isn’t protecting anyone — it’s empowering an out-of-control federal bureaucracy to punish peaceful Americans while real political violence goes unchecked. Congress must repeal it now before more innocent people are targeted.”
The letter cites multiple cases, including the unjust prosecution of 75-year-old Paulette Harlow, who received a lengthy federal sentence for merely sitting quietly in a waiting room, and the high-profile raids against Mark Houck and Paul Vaughn, which became emblematic of the Biden Administration’s politically motivated enforcement patterns.
Wildmon added, “If we want to reduce political violence in America, Congress must stop enabling government-directed violence against ordinary citizens. Repealing the FACE Act is a crucial step toward restoring fairness, federalism and constitutional rights. States already have laws to prosecute real threats. Washington doesn’t need a biased federal statute to intimidate people of faith.”
Letter praises Speaker Johnson’s leadership, calls for swift action
The letter also underscores Speaker Johnson’s prior leadership, exposing FACE Act abuses during his time chairing the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution and Limited Government. Signers urged him to continue this work by moving quickly to advance H.R. 589, Rep. Chip Roy’s bill to repeal the FACE Act.
“Every day the FACE Act stays on the books, innocent men and women face the possibility of federal prosecution simply for exercising their First Amendment rights,” Wildmon said. “Speaker Johnson has a strong record on this issue. We’re asking him to lead boldly and pass H.R. 589 before we see more violence against people of faith.”
AFA Action is a non-profit 501(c)(4) organization dedicated to advancing biblical family values in society and government by shaping public policy through education and advocacy. The mission of AFA Action is to inform and mobilize individuals to strengthen the biblical foundations of America by persuading individuals with the truth of the Gospel, challenging the lost to repent, promoting societal values that are consistent with Scripture, restraining evil and exposing the works of darkness, motivating people to take a stand on cultural and moral issues, and encouraging Christians to bear witness to the world the love of Jesus Christ. Find AFA Action Alerts here.
For more information on the American Family Association, visit www.afa.net or follow AFA on Facebook or X.
For more information on AFA Action, visit www.afaaction.net or follow AFA Action on Facebook or X.
To interview an AFA or AFA Action spokesperson, contact [email protected] or Beth Bogucki, 610.584.1096, ext. 105, Dawn Foglein, ext. 100, or Daniel Moyer, ext. 104.
AFA Action is a non-profit 501(c)(4) organization dedicated to advancing biblical, family values in society and government by educating and influencing public policy. AFA Action is also the Governmental Affairs Affiliate of American Family Association.