Susan Davis: “I thank my colleagues, Chris Smith and Karen Bass, for spearheading this important bill and for really putting…”

“I thank my colleagues, Chris Smith and Karen Bass, for spearheading this important bill and for really putting tremendous energy into it. Mr. Speaker, far too often, it is our children who fall victim to the horror of human trafficking. As you have heard this afternoon, we must do everything that we can to stop this injustice. Often it has been said of human trafficking that it is hiding in plain sight. Advocates and survivors are always telling me that it is important to punish traffickers, but we also need to focus on prevention. The reauthorization of the Frederick Douglass Trafficking Victims Prevention and Protection Reauthorization Act strengthens what we need in this holistic approach. It includes my bill, the Empowering Educators to Prevent Trafficking Act. This language in the bill creates a training program that I think you have heard about that empowers educators to spot the signs of trafficking and, in turn, teach their students how to protect themselves from becoming victims. With the passage of this bill, our schools can join the resistance in the fight against trafficking. Armed with knowledge, students and teachers can join the battle lines against the injustice of modern-day slavery. I want to thank all those who have participated in this bill, and I urge my colleagues to support it. {time} 1630”