Political Quotes

“Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 4058. I am proud to have worked with Chairman Reichert and have become an original cosponsor of the bill. I also want to acknowledge the leadership of Chairman Camp, as well as Ranking Members Doggett and Levin, to pass this important legislation, especially during National Foster Care Month. As cochair of the Congressional Caucus on Foster Youth, I have traveled throughout the country as part of a national listening tour. It has been devastating to learn the children involved in the child welfare system, particularly those who experience multiple placements, are especially susceptible to coercion and manipulation by traffickers. {time} 1715 In Los Angeles, where I am from, the Probation Department reports that hundreds of young people, all minors, have been identified as victims of sex trafficking. Sixty-one percent have been identified as foster youth. The Los Angeles STAR Court, which specializes in serving commercially sexually exploited youth, reports an even higher percentage: 80 percent of the young people have been foster youth. Unfortunately, the child welfare system as a whole has not truly recognized trafficking as a crisis within the foster youth population, nor incorporated protocols and systems to address the problem. Few child welfare employees have been adequately trained and prepared to identify or respond to child victims of trafficking.…”