October 11, 2000 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD—SENATE 22041 SENATE—Wednesday, October 11, 2000 (Legislative day of Friday, September 22, 2000) The Senate met at 9:32 a.m., on the SCHEDULE vention, through prosecution and enforce- ment against traffickers, and through pro- expiration of the recess, and was called Mr. BROWNBACK. Mr. President, to order by the President pro tempore tection and assistance to victims of traf- today the Senate will begin debate on ficking, having met, have agreed that the [Mr. THURMOND]. the conference report to accompany House recede from its disagreement to the The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The H.R. 3244, the sex trafficking victims amendment of the Senate, and agree to the Chaplain will now deliver the opening legislation. I want to start this discus- same with an amendment, and the Senate prayer. sion and debate off with thanking my agree to the same, signed by a majority of good friend and colleague, Senator the conferees on the part of both Houses. PRAYER PAUL WELLSTONE. He and I have The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- The Chaplain, Dr. Lloyd John worked together on this bill the entire ate will proceed to the consideration of Ogilvie, offered the following prayer: year. We have come at this from dif- the conference report. The Psalmist gives us a timely word ferent points of view. I think we have (The report was printed in the House for this pressured week, ‘‘Cast your worked together and come up with an proceedings of the RECORD of October 5, burden on the Lord, and He will sustain excellent proposal and package. I hope 2000.) you.’’—Psalm 55:22. for unanimous support from the Sen- The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- Let us pray. ate. ator from Kansas is recognized. Mr. BROWNBACK. Mr. President, I Gracious God, we come to You with We got near that in the House, with believe under the uniform unanimous our burdens. You know that we all a vote of 377–1. I have spoken with that consent agreement that we have, time carry both personal and professional one person who deeply regrets voting has been allocated to several different burdens. Beneath the surface of studied against us on this bill. It was actually Members of the Senate to speak on this composure, we all have loved ones for for another provision that was in the conference report; is that correct? whom we are concerned, friends who bill. This is an important piece of legis- are troubled, and unresolved problems The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- lation. ator is correct. about which we find it difficult to stop The sex trafficking victims legisla- worrying. Mr. BROWNBACK. Mr. President, let tion is here under a previous order, and me start this debate and discussion At many different levels, we feel the there will be up to 7 hours of debate on tension of finishing the work of the with the story of Irina. Irina’s story the conference report we are going to appeared in the New York Times not 106th Congress. The election ap- discuss. Senator THOMPSON will raise a proaches with additional burdens for that long ago, and it is similar to the point of order against the report and is story of a number of women with whom Senators running for reelection. Chal- expected to appeal the ruling of the lenges here do not let up, and the prob- I have met and who have been caught Chair. Therefore, a vote on the appeal, in this situation of sex trafficking— lems in the state mount up. Mean- as well as a vote on adoption of the while, peace of mind is up for grabs as young ladies I met with in Nepal, and conference report, is expected to occur several testified in committee. I think we struggle with differing agendas for during this afternoon’s session. The the legislation before the Senate. Irina’s story tells in graphic detail why Senate will also consider the VA–HUD this is a problem and why the Senate Lord, could it be that if we all—Re- appropriations bill and the conference publicans and Democrats, Senators and needs to act. report to accompany the Agriculture Irina always assumed that her beauty staff—stopped in our tracks and really appropriations bill, with votes on both asked for Your help, You would inter- would somehow rescue her from the poverty expected to occur prior to today’s ad- and hopelessness of village life. A few vene and help this Senate achieve journment. months ago, after answering a vague ad in a unity with both excellence and effi- I thank my colleagues for their at- small Ukrainian newspaper, she slipped off a ciency? In our heart of hearts we know tention. tour boat when it put in at Haifa, hoping to You would, and will, if we ask You with make a bundle dancing naked on the tops of f a united voice of earnestness. Dear tables. God, bless this Senate. We relinquish RESERVATION OF LEADER TIME She was 21, self-assured and glad to be out our control and ask You to take of Ukraine. Israel offered a new world, and The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. for a week or two everything seemed pos- charge. It’s hard to be willing, but we CRAPO). Under the previous order, lead- sible. Then, one morning, she was driven to are willing to allow You to make us ership time is reserved. a brothel, where her boss burned her passport willing. You are our Lord and Saviour. f before her eyes. Amen. ‘‘I own you,’’ she recalled his saying. ‘‘You TRAFFICKING VICTIMS PROTEC- f are my property and you will work until you TION ACT OF 2000—CONFERENCE earn your way out. Don’t try to leave. You PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE REPORT have no papers and you don’t speak Hebrew. The Honorable MIKE CRAPO, a Sen- You will be arrested and deported. Then we The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- will get you and bring you back.’’ ator from the State of Idaho, led the ate will now proceed to the conference That was her master. The article Pledge of Allegiance, as follows: report accompanying H.R. 3244. goes on. I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the The clerk will report the conference United States of America, and to the Repub- report. It happens every single day. Not just in Israel, which has deported nearly 1,500 Rus- lic for which it stands, one nation under God, The legislative clerk read as follows: indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. sian and Ukrainian women like Irina in the The Committee of Conference on the dis- past three years. But throughout the world, f agreeing votes of the two Houses on the where selling naive and desperate young RECOGNITION OF THE ACTING amendment of the Senate on the bill, H.R. women into sexual bondage has become one MAJORITY LEADER 3244, an act to combat trafficking of persons, of the fastest-growing criminal enterprises especially into the sex trade, slavery, and in the robust global economy. The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The slavery-like conditions, in the United States . Many end up like Irina. Stunned and Senator from Kansas is recognized. and countries around the world through pre- outraged by the sudden order to prostitute ● This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. VerDate jul 14 2003 10:24 Jan 05, 2005 Jkt 079102 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 0686 Sfmt 0634 E:\BR00\S11OC0.000 S11OC0 22042 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD—SENATE October 11, 2000 herself, she simply refused. She was beaten women are annually trafficked into Western dozen other countries—rarely varies. Women and raped before she succumbed. Finally she Europe alone. are held in apartments, bars and makeshift got a break. The brothel was raided and she Many end up like Irina. Stunned and out- brothels; there they service, by their own was brought here [to another place], the only raged by the sudden order to prostitute her- count, as many as 15 clients a day. Often women’s prison in Israel. Now, like hundreds self, she simply refused. She was beaten and they sleep in shifts, four to a bed. The best of Ukrainian and Russian women with no raped before she succumbed. Finally she got that most hope for is to be deported after the documents or obvious forgeries, she is wait- a break. The brothel was raided and she was police finally catch up with their captors. ing to be sent home. brought here to Neve Tirtsa in Ramle, the Few ever testify. Those who do risk death. This is a quote from Irina: only women’s prison in Israel. Now, like hun- Last year in Istanbul, Turkey, according to dreds of Ukrainian and Russian women with Ukrainian police investigators, two women ‘‘I don’t think the man who ruined my life no documents or obvious forgeries, she is were thrown to their deaths from a balcony will even be fined,’’ she said softly, slow waiting to be sent home. while six of their Russian friends watched. tears filling her enormous green eyes. ‘‘You ‘‘I don’t think the man who ruined my life In Serbia, also last year, said a young can call me a fool for coming here. That’s will even be fined,’’ she said softly, slow Ukrainian woman who escaped in October, a my crime. I am stupid. A stupid girl from a tears filling her enormous green eyes. ‘‘You woman who refused to work as a prostitute little village.