On the recordSeptember 25, 2019
Madam Speaker, I rise today to call attention to the issue of human trafficking, which is still alive and well today. The United States has been ranked among the top three nations of origin for victims of human trafficking in 2018, according to a recent report by the State Department, and is the number one consumer of sex trafficking worldwide. This is absolutely unacceptable, and as a Member of Congress, we must use all means necessary to rid our Nation of human trafficking and keep people safe from this kind of abuse. That is why, this week, I will be introducing two bills to help combat this. They are the Prevent Trafficking in Our Schools Act, and the COMBAT Act of 2019. The Prevent Trafficking in Our School Act instructs the Secretary of Homeland Security and Secretary of Education to develop a pilot program to train school officials and teachers to identify signs of trafficking in our schools and educate these same officials on the prevalence in our community. The COMBAT Act addresses the fact that the U.S. does not have an official count for domestic human trafficking by requiring a report to Congress on the prevalence of human trafficking happening within the United States. I ask for support on these bills. ____________________





