Congressional Record—House H563
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January 26, 2015 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H563 the House floor. I yield to the Rep- Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, I Hubert Humphrey said a society is meas- resentative from Virginia. am so pleased to come to the floor at ured by how it treats those in the dawn of life, Mrs. COMSTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I am the end of the Special Order hour that those in the shadows of life, and those in the pleased to join my colleagues for this Mrs. NOEM and Mrs. WAGNER have orga- twilight of life. Mr. Speaker, this is so applica- opportunity to recognize this month as nized to join my colleagues in talking ble to our nation’s foster youth. Right now National Slavery and Human Traf- about the bills that are before us. over 400,000 children in America find them- ficking Prevention Month, and I thank Human trafficking is an issue that selves in foster care for no fault of their my colleagues Congresswomen ANN affects every single county and com- own.... And it is that trauma of abuse or WAGNER and KRISTI NOEM for orga- munity across this country—every sin- neglect, that brought them into foster care in nizing this effort. gle one. In my State of Tennessee and the first place, on top of being in unfamiliar cir- I really appreciate how we are work- in the greater Nashville area, we have cumstances, that makes them exponentially ing together to raise awareness about a wonderful organization, End Slavery more vulnerable to be preyed upon by traf- this terrible crime that is happening in Tennessee, that is doing great work to fickers, who know all too well how to exploit a my district in northern Virginia and reach out, to minister, and to help. child’s hunger for love, acceptance, and a the Shenandoah Valley, throughout I am so pleased that this week we are sense of belonging. Virginia, and throughout—unfortu- going to take the time to bring to the For too long, and far too often, victims of nately—our country. This growing floor legislation that will be of help in trafficking have been allowed to fall through criminal enterprise we know knows no training our medical personnel, that the cracks in the system. We have not put boundaries. will also empower and encourage our structures in place to treat child victims of traf- Mr. Speaker, the Fairfax County Po- law enforcement organizations and our ficking like victims, and not treat them like lice Department in my district has es- faith-based and not-for-profit organiza- criminals. tablished the northern Virginia Human tions. This legislation will begin to bridge the gaps Trafficking Task Force to crack down This is a tragedy, modern-day slav- where law enforcement and child protection on this scourge. In the past 12 months ery, that is taking place, the sex traf- workers need to be better equipped in order to alone, just to give you an idea of this ficking and the human trafficking, and best protect children known or suspected to crime that is in the local area, the task I am so pleased that Congress is stand- be victims of sex trafficking. It also requires force has had 156 leads, 109 victim re- ing together to do something about it. the submission of annual reports on the num- coveries, 267 victims identified, and 73 f ber of child victims of sex trafficking, and the suspects. Mr. Speaker, while we have done b 1830 reporting of that data to Congress so that we great work to combat this terrible can better assess how to prevent child sex STRENGTHENING CHILD WELFARE trafficking, and remove barriers that keep us crime in Virginia, we clearly have RESPONSE TO TRAFFICKING ACT more work to do on every level: the from truly serving those that have become vic- local level, State level, and national (Mr. FRANKS of Arizona asked and tims, and most of all, to protect the hundreds level. was given permission to address the of thousands of vulnerable children to keep Four years ago, Virginia, for exam- House for 1 minute.) them from ever having to endure the evil of ple, was at the bottom of the Polaris Mr. FRANKS of Arizona. Mr. Speak- sex trafficking. Project anti-human trafficking State er, I am honored today to be able to I am grateful for my colleague Representa- rankings. Now, we are at the top be- stand here in support of H.R. 469, the tive BASS’s leadership on this issue, and to cause we passed many of the kind of Strengthening Child Welfare Response House Leadership for recognizing the priority bills that we are going to be able to to Trafficking Act. This is one of many that must be placed upon protecting some of pass here tomorrow and additional bills pieces of legislation this week that we our nation’s most vulnerable children. And I that are going to be here tomorrow. are going to be doing in the Congress, pray we will continue to work and stand to- I am very honored to be able to join and I am so grateful to all of the people gether for the right of every child to be safe, all of my colleagues and with our faith- who have been involved in this criti- protected, cherished, and loved. based organizations and our law en- cally important issue. I would espe- f cially mention the cochair of the Con- forcement officials and to be able to HUMAN TRAFFICKING continue this work now on a national gressional Foster Youth Caucus, KAREN (Mrs. MIMI WALTERS of California level and to be able to vote for these BASS, for introducing this asked and was given permission to ad- important bills that we will be address- groundbreaking legislation. dress the House for 1 minute.) ing tomorrow. Mr. Speaker, Hubert Humphrey said Mrs. NOEM. I thank the gentle- a society is measured by how it treats Mrs. MIMI WALTERS of California. woman for her remarks. those in the dawn of life, those in the Mr. Speaker, although slavery was Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance shadows of life, and those in the twi- abolished 150 years ago, today, modern of my time. light of life. This is such a critical slavery still exists in the form of human trafficking. f issue to protect the 400,000 children in America who find themselves in foster Human trafficking involves the use REPORT ON RESOLUTION PRO- care and vulnerable to being preyed of force, fraud, or coercion to control VIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF upon by traffickers who know all too other people for the purpose of forced H.R. 351, LNG PERMITTING CER- well how to exploit a child’s hunger for labor or sexual exploitation. According TAINTY AND TRANSPARENCY love, acceptance, and a sense of belong- to the FBI, sex trafficking is the fast- ACT ing. est-growing business of organized Mr. SESSIONS, from the Committee We must put the structures in place crime in the world. on Rules, submitted a privileged report to treat child victims of trafficking Approximately 20.9 million victims of (Rept. No. 114–5) on the resolution (H. like victims instead of treating them human trafficking exist in our world Res. 48) providing for consideration of like criminals. today, and hundreds of thousands of the bill (H.R. 351) to provide for expe- With that, Mr. Speaker, I remind us those victims are here in the United dited approval of exportation of nat- all that our first job here is to protect States. ural gas, and for other purposes, which those who cannot protect themselves. California is not excluded from this was referred to the House Calendar and Mr. Speaker, I am honored to able to stand criminal activity. In fact, within my ordered to be printed. here today in support of H.R. 469, the congressional district in Orange Coun- f Strengthening Child Welfare Response to ty, there have been over 350 cases of Trafficking Act. I commend my colleague Rep- human trafficking since 2004. HUMAN TRAFFICKING IS A resentative KAREN BASS, the founder of the Victims are lured and manipulated TRAGEDY Co-chair of the Congressional Foster Youth by false promises of lucrative jobs, a (Mrs. BLACKBURN asked and was Caucus, for introducing this groundbreaking loving relationship, or new opportuni- given permission to address the House legislation and for continuing to devote herself ties and are usually between the ages for 1 minute and to revise and extend tirelessly to making a better future for these of 12 to 14 when they first become vic- her remarks.) abused and neglected children. tims of sex trafficking. VerDate Sep 11 2014 07:47 Jan 27, 2015 Jkt 049060 PO 00000 Frm 00027 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K26JA7.042 H26JAPT1 emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with HOUSE.