Eleanor Holmes Norton: “let us set the record straight. What is being barred here by the Freedom of Access to Clinics Entrances bill FACE? The…”

“let us set the record straight. What is being barred here by the Freedom of Access to Clinics Entrances bill FACE? The use of force. The threat of force, physical obstruction, intentional injury, intimidation, and interference. All of these are action words, Mr. Speaker. Pro-choice Americans do not want to have anything to do with these kinds of actions. First amendment rights are expressly protected in this bill. Illustrative of what is barred, is an incident 2 weeks ago here in the District of Columbia where the Hillcrest Women's Clinic in Northwest was barred from opening for 2 hours. Among other things, an anti-abortion protester used a bicycle lock to connect himself by the neck to the front door of the clinic. In the absence of a FACE statute the Federal courts have been driven to controversial injunctions. One of these is now before the Supreme Court: Madsen vs. Women's Health Center. During the recent oral argument the court cited with approval the FACE language, and thus we already have some indication that this is the constitutional way to go. FACE does not criminalize the content of speech, only the illegal conduct of anti-choice protesters.”