9937 Hon. Dennis J. Kucinich Hon. Joe Baca
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June 5, 2001 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS 9937 is today viewed as a low risk/high profit ening of legislation to hold accountable per- is to promote excellence in government, and business rather than a crime. The prosecu- sons responsible for [trafficking] and Blacks in Government has done just that. tion of traffickers serves a dual purpose: it strengthen[ing] the protection of victims.’ Please join me in celebration and recognition delivers justice to individuals who use force The need for legal reforms was also recog- or fraud to trade in human lives and it serves nized by members of the OSCE Parliamen- for the Great Lakes-Midwest Region Five of as a deterrent to others who are inclined to tary Assembly in both the St. Petersburg Blacks in Government for their 19th Annual pursue human trafficking as a business en- Declaration of 1999 and the Bucharest Dec- Training Conference in Cleveland, Ohio. deavor, thinking that the potential rewards laration of 2000. f would outweigh the risks. Despite these commitments, many crimi- I personally worked for more than a year nal codes do not yet recognize the crime of NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND ACT OF to create a new law 1 in the United States trafficking in human beings. Addressing the 2001 mandating severe punishment for traffickers legal deficiencies in the U.S. Code took an and providing new tools for law enforcement enormous investment of political will, a SPEECH OF officers to combat this scourge. As a result careful examination of the laws on the of the legislation that I sponsored, which books, and dogged determination to craft HON. JOE BACA was enacted last October, any person who legal tools for prosecution of traffickers and OF CALIFORNIA traffics in human beings—or who reaps the for protection of victims. Each government IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES profits from this abhorrent activity—now and parliament in South Eastern Europe faces up to 20 years in prison, or even life im- should undertake a review and strengthening Wednesday, May 23, 2001 prisonment under certain circumstances. of its domestic laws to ensure that traf- The law also carries a penalty of up to 5 The House in Committee of the Whole ficking in human beings is established as a House on the State of the Union had under years imprisonment, plus fines, for confisca- criminal offense and that penalties can be tion or destruction of a passport or immigra- consideration the bill (H.R. 1) to close the imposed that reflect the grievous nature of achievement gap with accountability, flexi- tion documents from another person in the the offense. I would be very glad to provide course of trafficking; it allows prosecutors to bility, and choice, so that no child is left be- the law which we crafted should the example hind: seize traffickers’ assets; and it requires man- be helpful to other lawmakers. datory compensation by traffickers to their Legal reform is a vital step in the battle Mr. BACA. Mr. Chairman, I wish to elabo- victims. The new U.S. law recognizes that against modem-day slavery. In the mean- rate on my vote in favor of final passage of children, women and men are trafficked into time, however, even in countries in which H.R. 1, The Leave No Child Behind Act (Roll forced labor, involuntary servitude or slav- the law does not specifically prohibit traf- #145) ery—not only in the commercial sex indus- ficking in persons, law enforcement authori- I strongly support the increased education try, but also into industrial sweatshops, do- ties can and should prosecute traffickers by mestic servitude, and other exploitive situa- funding this measure provides. Education is using existing laws against, inter alia, kid- the number one priority for the American peo- tions. Severe penalties have been created for naping, fraud, pandering, falsifying docu- trafficking into any of these types of exploi- ments, assisting individuals to cross borders ple, including under-served populations, such tation. illegally, forced labor, assault, or rape. As as Hispanics. We recognize that education is This law gives prosecutors the tools to with all human rights, the responsibility to our path to the American dream. Unfortu- crack down on traffickers, but it also en- prevent this particular abuse, to prosecute nately, Hispanic children remain among the sures that trafficked persons will be treated those who commit the atrocities, and to pro- as victims of a crime and potential witnesses most educationally disadvantaged of all public tect their victims, begins and ends with indi- rather than as criminals. Toward that end, school students, suffering from high poverty, vidual States. the law requires the U.S. Department of Jus- high dropout rates and language barriers. With tice to ensure that trafficked persons, while f significant increases in the number of Hispanic in the custody of the federal government, children attending our nation’s schools, we will not be detained in facilities that are in- IN HONOR OF GREAT LAKES-MID- must, as leaders of this great nation, remain appropriate to their status as crime victims, WEST REGION FIVE OF BLACKS committed to their unique educational needs. the victims will receive medical care and IN GOVERNMENT We cannot allow the final conference edu- other assistance, will be provided protection if their safety is in jeopardy, will be advised cation bill to leave our nation’s children be- of their legal rights, and will have access to HON. DENNIS J. KUCINICH hind. translation services. Law enforcement au- OF OHIO I would like to emphasize, though, that I re- thorities are also empowered to place traf- IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES main deeply committed to bilingual and mi- ficked persons in witness protection pro- grant education programs, and I was dis- grams, if needed, which can help protect Tuesday, June 5, 2001 appointed that the version of the bill brought to them from reprisals by the organized crime Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in the House floor did not sufficiently address groups, or the individual thugs, who traf- recognition and celebration of the Blacks in adequate funding for those programs. I urge ficked them. The new anti-trafficking law also includes Government Great Lakes-Midwest Region the Conference Committee to safeguard these victim protection measures such as funding Five 19th Annual Training Conference being programs. Seventy-five percent of the 4.1 mil- for NGOs working to assist trafficking vic- held in Cleveland, Ohio this first day of June, lion Limited English Proficient (LEP) children tims in safe integration, reintegration, or re- 2001. are Hispanic and speak Spanish as their first settlement. The law creates a new non-immi- The Greater Cleveland chapter of Blacks in language. These students face the daunting grant visa which allows a victim of traf- Government, B.I.G., is hosting this very spe- challenge of learning a new language ficking to remain temporarily in the United cial convention. They chose a very fitting (English) while also keeping up with academic States if the victim is a child, or the victim theme, ‘‘Look Toward the Future for Your Fu- subjects like math and science. I therefore is willing to assist in the investigation or prosecution of acts of trafficking, and would ture,’’ and plan on executing numerous work- strongly support increased bilingual education suffer extreme hardship if deported from the shops throughout the conference that discuss funding but without instructional time limits, United States. In certain cases, trafficked career development, financial security, equal parental notification and consent requirements. persons can also become eligible for perma- employment opportunity, professional develop- I furthermore strongly support increased fund- nent residence after several years. ment, and career growth. ing for the Migrant Education Program. As participating States of the Organization Blacks in Government has continually Roughly 800,000 Hispanic children in our for Security and Cooperation in Europe, each strived for excellence. They have trained schools are from migrant families. These mi- government represented in the Stability Pact committed at the Istanbul Summit to countless employees and have instilled in grant children move from farm to farm, place ‘‘undertake measures . to end ... all forms them true values and integrity. This con- to place, constantly interrupting their edu- of trafficking in human beings,’’ 2 including ference facilitates education and interaction, cation. The Migrant Education Program must by ‘promot[ing] the adoption or strength- fellowship and celebration. Their cause of jus- have a national focus that transcends those tice and equality will ring out loud in Cleveland geographical barriers that form the educational 1 ‘‘Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000’’ during this esteemed conference. systems for most children. (Public Law 106–386, signed by the President on Oct. Not only will this weekend provide for lead- The final ESEA reauthorization coming out 28, 2000), available at <http://www.house.gov/ ership training and development, but it is also of conference is an excellent opportunity to chrissmith/>. 2 OSCE Charter for European Security, para. 24 a time for Blacks in Government to celebrate address these unique educational needs of (Istanbul, November 1999). another year of service. Their national mission Hispanic school children. Hispanic children, VerDate Aug 04 2004 14:53 Mar 21, 2005 Jkt 089102 PO 00000 Frm 00014 Fmt 0689 Sfmt 9920 E:\BR01\E05JN1.000 E05JN1 9938 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS June 5, 2001 migrant children, are our nation’s children, our cheeses in the world. In fact, Roth Kase has Father Cregan’s joy and strong faith is ap- nation’s future. We must live up to our com- been recognized with approximately 55 na- parent after listening to any of his sermons.