Political Quotes

“I want to thank my colleague, Ms. Norton, for having this amazing interest to our country put before us for a vote. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 1532, No Human Trafficking on Our Roads, and S. 1536, the Combating Human Trafficking in Commercial Vehicles Act. As the vice chair of the congressional bipartisan Caucus for Women's Issues and a member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, I am pleased that we are solving these issues of real concern. Human trafficking is an inexcusable crime. According to the National Human Trafficking Resource Center, about 8 in 10 reported victims are women. It is a crime that exploits women more than anyone else, and especially young girls. Mr. Speaker, combating human trafficking is a serious concern of mine. Unfortunately, in my district--I represent the Metro Detroit area--a major international transportation and shipping hub in southeast Michigan, we rank number seven in total human trafficking cases reported in our country. These bills mark progress toward combating human trafficking. We are improving our systems to better recognize and report this crime. We are closing loopholes in our transportation system that traffickers have taken advantage of for far too long. I am proud to support these bills, and I urge my colleagues to support them as well. Mr. Speaker, today I needed a vote and a voice for something that is good for this country, and so I stand here in support.”