Sam Brownback: “It is The Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000. It is a bill--one of the first perhaps in the world--to address…”

“It is The Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000. It is a bill--one of the first perhaps in the world--to address the growing ugly practice of sex trafficking where people are traded into human bondage--again, into the sex and prostitution business around the world. It is an ugly practice that is growing. More organized crime is getting into it. It is one of the darker sides of globalization that is taking place in the world. It is estimated that the size of this business is $7 billion annually, only surpassed by that of the illegal arms trade on an illegal basis. If those numbers aren't stark enough, the numbers of the individuals involved is stark enough. Our intelligence community estimates that up to 700,000 women and children--primarily young girls--are trafficked, generally from poorer countries to richer countries each year, and sold into bondage; raped, held against their will, locked up, and food withheld from them until they submit to this sex trade. That is taking place in our world in the year 2000. Our intelligence community estimates that 50,000 are trafficked into the United States into this ugly traffic.”