Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak in support of H.R. 7224, a bill to amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize the Stop, Observe, Ask, and Respond to Health and Wellness Training Program. This bipartisan legislation, introduced by Representative Cohen, would reauthorize the program administered by the Administration of Children and Families that trains healthcare and social service providers on human trafficking. The SOAR program is designed to educate healthcare providers, social workers, public health professionals, and behavioral health professionals on how to identify and respond appropriately to individuals who either have experienced trafficking or are at risk of it. This training is targeted at physicians, pharmacists, nurses, dentists, psychologists, social workers and case managers, school counselors, public health professionals, and allied health professionals, as well. Human trafficking impacts thousands of people in the United States. According to the Harvard Medical School Center for Primary Care, over 88 percent of human-trafficking victims seek medical care in various health settings. Ensuring that our health professionals who serve on the front lines of providing medical care for human-trafficking victims are appropriately trained and supported is essential. In 2019, the original SOAR to Health and Wellness Act was signed into law, which established the SOAR to Health and Wellness Training Program.…”