Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, many people think of human trafficking as a problem that is happening abroad, but what they don't realize is that hundreds of thousands of victims are being trafficked within our own borders. It is hard to imagine such an injustice occurring in your own neighborhood. When I learned that my city of San Diego is considered a high-intensity region for child trafficking, I knew I needed to take action. In San Diego, we have an incredible community antitrafficking task force. They told me that a gap in the fight against trafficking is in our schools. This is why I wrote the Empowering Educators to Prevent Trafficking Act. I am proud to see it included in the Frederick Douglass Trafficking Victims Protection Act that is before us today. My bill will fund programs to train teachers across the country to recognize and respond to signs of trafficking so that they can identify victims and get them the help they need. Teachers, in turn, can teach their students how to protect themselves from becoming victims. With this training, our Nation's schools can be an important line of defense against this terrible injustice. ____________________”