Political Quotes

“Today, I rise to share the introduction of my bill, the CHILD Act of 2023. This bill seeks to amend chapter 77, section 1591 of title 18, United States Code, by raising the mandatory minimum years of imprisonment for engaging in the trafficking of any person under the age of 18. The current law states that if convicted of trafficking a victim under the age of 14, there is a minimum of 15 years imprisonment. If convicted of trafficking a victim between the ages of 14 and 17, the minimum sentence is 10 years imprisonment. Child sex trafficking remains a pressing issue in the United States. In 2021, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received over 17,200 reports of child sex trafficking in all 50 U.S. States, affecting every type of community, including cities, rural areas, and Tribal land. According to an NCMEC report from 2021, out of the 25,000 missing runaway children, 1 out of 6 are likely to be victims of sex trafficking. Offenders often target vulnerable children who are of lower income, live in dangerous circumstances, and seek out better lives for themselves. Victims come from all backgrounds and become trapped in a never-ending cycle of threats, abuse, false promises, isolation, shame, and debt. These victims are deprived of something every child deserves--a future. If enacted, this legislation would make the sentence for traffickers exploiting victims under the age of 18 the same regardless of their age.…”