Erik Paulsen: “I want to first thank the chairman and the ranking member for their leadership on combating this issue because today is…”

“I want to first thank the chairman and the ranking member for their leadership on combating this issue because today is a very important moment in the fight against modern-day slavery. For several years, members of both parties have been working diligently with law enforcement, with victims, with social service providers and policy experts to end the sale and victimization of innocent girls. This bill today is the culmination now of all the initiatives previously passed in the House that will increase penalties for pimps and johns, that will enhance the Federal Government's response to trafficking, that will increase cooperation with governments overseas, and it will go after the Web sites that aid in the trafficking of minors. {time} 1730 I am pleased that this package also includes my legislation, the safe harbor legislation, that ensures that we will be treating minors who are trafficked as victims, rather than as criminals, and improve the services that they receive. Mr. Speaker, the traffickers that we see today, they use every tool they can use to keep victims silent and under their control, whether it is by using threats, violence, drugs, or deception. And trafficking victims all share one thing in common: it is a loss of freedom and a loss of the ability to speak out. Today we stand with these victims to bring them out of the shadows and say, enough is enough, because our girls are not for sale.”