Acquitted Catholic pro-life activist Mark Houck talked in front of House Judiciary members on Tuesday and he relayed what the moment felt like when federal and state law enforcement authorities raided his home with guns last year on accusations he blocked others from entering an abortion clinic.
“My home was raided by ten unmarked units, state troopers, federal law enforcement personnel,” Houck told the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution and Limited Government.
“I had five federal agents on my doorstep at 6:30 in the morning, with long guns pointed at me and my seven children.”
Houck leads a nonprofit group that counsels women outside of abortion clinics in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He testified in front of the subcommittee members during a hearing to revisit the implications of the FACE Act. It is a federal law prohibiting people from blocking others from entering an abortion clinic.
The pro-life Catholic was acquitted in January after federal authorities threatened him with 11 years in prison for allegedly violating the FACE Act.
He told subcommittee members that he believes the FBI raided his home to “humiliate me, to scare my children, and to instill fear in pro-life America.”
“My children were downrange of many guns, and they screamed through the whole process,” Houck said. “The committee should know that they were traumatized.”
Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) supported Houck’s remarks, saying he believes federal law enforcement authorities targeted him for his pro-life position and threatened to limit funding for the FBI.
“So if you’re pro-family, pro-life, and you want a border, you’re a target — and your family fit all of them,” Jordan told Houck. “You’re a pro-life, pro-family Catholic, for goodness’ sake — they’re going to come after you. You’ve got seven kids. You’re not allowed to have seven kids today, you know, we’re trying to save the planet. You can’t do that in America today.”
WATCH: Democrat Congresswoman admits that the DOJ engaged in selective prosecution against Mark Houck.
Selective prosecution is unconstitutional. We have the FBI, DOJ, and members of Congress acting like it isn't. Reprehensible. pic.twitter.com/6AR1dvG7TD
— Rep. Dan Bishop (@RepDanBishop) May 16, 2023
