On the recordJanuary 12, 2017
During Human Trafficking Awareness Month, I rise in support of the 21 million men, women, and children worldwide who are victims of this insidious enterprise. Human trafficking is nothing less than modern-day slavery. It targets society's most vulnerable, stealing their souls and depriving them of any hope to escape a downward spiral of despair. Nations must be held accountable for their efforts to eradicate human trafficking within their borders, which is why, today, I am reintroducing the Sex Trafficking Demand Reduction Act. This legislation targets the demand for commercial sex because the evidence is clear that, where markets for commercial sex exist, human trafficking proliferates as well. The bill requires governments to take the initiative to eliminate the demand for purchase of commercial sex in their efforts to combat human trafficking overall. As a member of the Congressional Human Trafficking Caucus, I am pleased to see Congress taking a leadership role in the fight against human trafficking. We are getting closer to the day when human trafficking will no longer represent a blight on humanity and we will see victims and survivors created in God's image fully restored. ____________________
