Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, in New Town, North Dakota, right in the heart of the Bakken oil patch, an elderly woman once told an FBI agent that she knew human trafficking was taking place in her community because she saw young girls taking different men back and forth to various rooms. And when the agent asked the woman for her name so they could investigate, she was too afraid to report it. The horrific nature of this crime can shock individuals and communities to such a degree that they are unable to conceive such heinous crimes are even possible, much less taking place right in their rural communities. All around the country, law enforcement and public citizens are encountering difficulties in identifying human trafficking victims, and our justice system is too often ill-equipped to assign the appropriate penalties for a fast-growing international crime, such as human trafficking. And what is worse, too often, the victims are treated as criminals, dropped into a judicial system not equipped to provide the health and protective services that these women and young girls often need. I held a roundtable with my friend and colleague, Representative Erik Paulsen from Minnesota, earlier this month in Williston, North Dakota. Along with being the fastest growing micropolitan in the Nation, Williston is newly dealing with an increase in human trafficking.…”