Biden push to revive Ted Kennedy-era law now haunts Democrats as charges loom in Minnesota church riot

By Fox News · Fox News

The Biden administration resurrected a 1994 law against obstructing abortion clinics or religious worship to prosecute protesters, but now conservatives are seeking that the same policy be applied after leftist agitators crashed a Minneapolis church service. The FACE Act, drafted by the late Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., a noted Catholic, and signed by former President Bill Clinton , prohibits intentionally injuring or intimidating people seeking "reproductive care" services, and also has a section protecting people "exercising … religious freedom at a place of religious worship." Clinton also used his remarks signing the law to introduce his oft-cited view that abortion should be "safe, legal and rare." "Enacting this bill to provide freedom of access to clinics has been a priority because protecting the freedoms of our citizens is surely chief among the responsibilities of the President of the United States," Clinton added at the time. "This bill is designed to eliminate violence and coercion. It is not a strike against the First Amendment ; far from it." NYT SLAMMED OVER REPORT SAYING PROTEST AT MINNESOTA CHURCH SERVICE 'ADDS TO TENSIONS OVER ICE TACTICS' The Biden Justice Department pursued FACE Act charges against dozens of people, which was seen as an uptick over prior administrations that all utilized the law. Alliance Defending Freedom’s Erin Hawley testified before the House Judiciary Committee during that time saying: "Instead of applying the FACE Act in an even-handed way, the Biden DOJ has weaponized the Act to target pro-life advocates ." The most-reported case was that of Mark Houck, a pro-life supporter from Kintnersville, Pennsylvania, who was arrested outside a Philadelphia abortion clinic following a run-in with an activist. ST PAUL PASTOR DENOUNCES ANTI-ICE AGITATORS WHO DISRUPTED CHURCH SERVICE, SAYS 'WE'RE HERE TO WORSHIP JESUS' Houck often publicly prayed and tried to counsel people outside the center, and on that day in 2021, he was reportedl…