Karen Bass

We must remember that child sex predators, when they commit these crimes against our youth, are trying to steal the soul of the victim when they commit sexual assault.

Unfortunately, the child welfare system as a whole has not truly recognized trafficking as a crisis within the foster care population.

It is clear we need a comprehensive approach to prevent the victimization of our children.

I am very appreciative of your ongoing commitment to improving outcomes for foster youth and families.

I will soon introduce the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act, along with Congresswoman Maloney from New York.

I have a couple of categories of questions I wanted to ask you about.

I am just trying to get at understanding the vetting process and how we hold NGOs accountable.

the land tenure situation in Haiti is more a political problem than it is a technical problem

And how do we find the NGOs? You know, are they U.S.-based NGOs? International? Haitian?

The crisis at the Westgate Mall is deeply troubling and represents a serious security concern to East Africa.

This amendment considered en bloc would provide the Department of Defense the flexibility to train and equip wildlife reserve rangers to help combat illicit poaching across the African continent. Poaching and wildlife trafficking are not…

We would like to see the U.S. Government make natural resource requirements, transparency requirements, an integral part of its assistance.

Because they were listed on the stock exchange?

I want to know about U.S. corporate involvement and U.S. practices.

I think it is important that we look at what is happening in Equatorial Guinea and look at ways that we might be able to be supportive.

We have to look at these resources as a blessing.

Denying visas to members of the EG Government, the Equatorial Guinea Government, whether it is through Presidential Proclamation 7750 or whether it is by finding a way to expand the Magnitsky Act, which I referred to, I think that is…

Protection of wildlife and other natural resources must be achieved. The days of corrupt governments shirking their responsibilities so that a select few can benefit from their country's blessings must be ended.

I just refuse to view this as Africa's curse because to me, if you say that, then you are almost saying that there is nothing that can be done about it.

I have grown deeply concerned with contracts from multinational companies, particularly those from more developed nations where resource extraction doesn't necessarily do much for the majority of the people.

I visited several African nations over the last year that share with us their strong desire not to engage our Government in more of the same forms of aid but to shift our discussion to topics of trade dealing in arrangements that provide…

The United States Government has such an important role to play.

Our language, our perception of Africa must change. Business, trade, and investment are the conversations we need to have with African nations.

I respectfully ask this committee to take specific steps that would lead to improved governance in Equatorial Guinea, including first urging the SEC to issue strong rules in support of the Dodd-Frank 1504; second, supporting the…

once again, I want to thank you for your on-going efforts to combat human trafficking.