Over 200 Democrats Vote Against Condemning Attacks On Pro-Life Centers

On Wednesday, more than 200 House Democrats voted against condemning the repeated terrorist attacks against pro-life pregnancy centers, pro-life groups and churches that have occurred since the leak of the early draft opinion indicating that the Supreme Court was poised to overturn Roe v. Wade.

H. Res. 1233, which expresses “the sense of the House of Representatives condemning the recent attacks on pro-life facilities, groups, and churches,” passed in the House with a 222-208 vote margin — with almost every Democrat voting against it.

Only three Democrats supported the resolution, Reps. Vicente Gonzalez (D-TX), Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA) and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-WA).

According to trackers from Catholic Vote, at least 78 pro-life groups and 108 churches have been attacked by pro-abortion activists since May. The attacks have included firebombings and vandalism, with the attackers writing threats such as “If abortions aren’t safe, neither are you.”

However, it appears as if the Department of Justice has not taken these attacks seriously, as authorities have made no arrests in any of these incidents thus far.

Many Democrats, such as radical far-left Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), have not condemned, nor even acknowledged, the attacks.

Now, the Democrats have taken their ignorance one step further, as House Democrat leadership urged lawmakers to vote “no” on the resolution condemning the attacks — justifying their stance by noting that the measure does not discuss attacks on pro-abortion groups.

“Assaults on abortion clinics increased 128% last year over 2020,” an email from Democratic Whip Katherine Clark states, apparently citing data from the National Abortion Federation.

Planned Parenthood echoed that sentiment, claiming that the resolution ignores “threats of violence against abortion providers & patients.”

Of course, this is one of the left’s favorite tactics — using lack of “inclusivity” to argue against something. The resolution, by design, focuses on the attacks against pro-life centers. It would be simple for them to condemn the attacks, then ask the Republicans to do the same in return or else look hypocritical. Instead, they use the fact that attacks on pro-abortion entities were not included in the resolution as a way to avoid voting for the measure and upsetting the radical pro-abortion activists in their base.

According to The Daily Signal, the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division has refused to disclose whether it will be prosecuting any of the attacks on pro-life centers under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act — which “prohibits threats of force, obstruction and property damage intended to interfere with reproductive health care services,” and also prohibits “intentionally damaging or destroying the property of a place of religious worship.”

The legislation clearly protects both pro-life pregnancy centers and abortion clinics, as well as churches.

Meanwhile, the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division charged 26 pro-life individuals in 2022 with violations of the FACE Act — many of whom were just peacefully protesting outside of abortion clinics.

The House GOP’s resolution listed dozens of attacks against pro-life pregnancy centers and churches, and stated that Congress condemned these attacks and urges the DOJ to prosecute the perpetrators.

Reacting to the vote in the House, Catholic Vote President Brian Burch referred to the resolution as a “test” of the “authenticity of the Democrat’s purported desire to fight domestic terrorism” — noting that this was “a likely disingenuous desire considering that Democrats have spent months downplaying and even encouraging violence against pro-life organizations that exist to provide millions of dollars’ worth of resources and support to women and children in need.”

“It’s remarkable that something as straightforward as protecting women and children from violent attacks, as well as innocent children from the excruciating trauma of abortion, is controversial in the least,” Burch added. “Violence shouldn’t be a partisan issue, and no American should be above the law—even if they conveniently target the political enemies of those accountable for enforcing it.”