Political Quotes

“I come to the floor today to talk about what I believe may be one of the most critical pieces of legislation to address human trafficking in the United States, and that is the piece of legislation authored by Senator Leahy--the Runaway and Homeless Youth and Trafficking Prevention Act. I am proud to be a cosponsor of this legislation and to add my name to the amendment Senator Leahy submitted yesterday that adds this important piece of legislation to this current debate. Senator Leahy, as we all know, has been a tireless advocate for homeless and runaway youth and for LGBT individuals and for victims of human trafficking. His bill would provide the necessary services and additional protections for all of these young children. So I thank Senator Leahy again for his continued work on behalf of some of our most vulnerable--our runaway and homeless youth. As a former attorney general, I certainly believe that additional tools need to be made available to prosecutors so they can prosecute traffickers and johns and that we need to intervene and provide recovery services for victims. I think that need has never been greater. But why I am speaking today on this legislation is because it goes to that critical element of prevention. It supports those who are most susceptible to human trafficking, and that is our runaway and homeless youth.…”