{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://schakowsky.house.gov/media/press-releases/schakowsky-casten-nadler-introduce-legislation-help-ensure-safe-access", "Schakowsky, Casten, Nadler Introduce Legislation to Help Ensure Safe Access to Reproductive Health Clinics", "2024-10-29", "2024", "2024-10", "Democrat", "House", "IL", "Janice D. Schakowsky", "S001145", "schakowsky.house.gov", "schakowsky", "https://schakowsky.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Full Text of Bill (PDF)\n\nEVANSTON - Today, U.S. Representatives Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Sean Casten (IL-06), and Jerrold Nadler (NY-12) introduced the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Study (FACES) Act of 2024, legislation to study barriers to enforcement of existing protections for access to reproductive health clinics.\n\n\u201cSince Roe v. Wade was overturned by the Supreme Court, we have seen an alarming increase in violence and threats directed toward patients and abortion providers. Federal law prohibits this type of intimidation, yet the problem persists. We need answers,\u201d said Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky. \u201cAccess to comprehensive reproductive health care, including safe, legal, and accessible abortion, is a human right. That is why I\u2019m joining Reps. Casten and Nadler in introducing the FACES Act to determine what further steps must be taken to best protect individuals seeking reproductive care, and the workers who provide the care. For me, the fight to protect reproductive freedom is more than just policy and politics; it\u2019s about human dignity and justice.\u201d\n\n\u201cIndividuals seeking reproductive health care, and the workers responsible for delivering this care, should not face violence or intimidation when entering health clinics,\u201d said Congressman Sean Casten. \u201cWhile there are theoretically protections in place to ensure this does not happen, enforcement is infrequent and inconsistent. The FACES Act helps us to get to the bottom of why this happens and what Congress can do to ensure safe access to reproductive health centers.\u201d\n\n\u201cUnder the FACE Act, patients are protected under the law from intimidation and violence when they are seeking reproductive healthcare,\u201d said Congressman Jerrold Nadler. \u201cDespite these protections, enforcement of the law is inconsistent, contributing to an alarming rise in violence outside of abortion clinics. I\u2019m proud to join my colleagues in introducing the FACES Act to better understand and overcome the barriers to enforcement so Americans across the country can freely access the care they need.\u201d\n\nIn the early 1990s, Congress enacted the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act to protect the rights of patients to safely access reproductive health services in response to violence at abortion clinics and against abortion providers. The FACE Act prohibits violence, threatening, damaging, and obstructive conduct intended to injure, intimidate, or interfere with an individual\u2019s ability to seek, obtain, or provide reproductive health services. However, the law is sporadically and inconsistently enforced.\n\nThe FACES Act, introduced by Reps. Casten, and Nadler would study the Department of Justice\u2019s (DOJ) criteria for enforcing the FACE Act, barriers to enforcement, data about variations in enforcement across the country, plans to overcome variations and barriers to enforcement, steps the DOJ can take to communicate best practices to state and local police, and legislative options available to Congress to ensure more fulsome enforcement of the FACE Act.\n\nThe National Abortion Federation reported a significant increase in violence and disruptions against abortion providers in 2022 compared to 2021. The findings showed a 229% increase in stalking, a 231% increase in burglary, and a 25% increase in invasions targeting abortion clinic staff, patients, and providers. In the past decade, abortion clinics experienced a 100% rise in anthrax and bioterrorism threats. Furthermore, the number of clinic blockades more than doubled in recent years, and incidents of picketing at facilities have been growing exponentially for years.\n\nIn July, Reps. Schakowsky, Casten, and Nadler led 51 colleagues in a letter urging the Department of Justice to fully enforce the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act and protect safe access to reproductive health care facilities.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:57:20Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://schakowsky.house.gov/media/press-releases/schakowsky-casten-nadler-introduce-legislation-help-ensure-safe-access"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 2.182407770305872, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}