Political Quotes

“First let me just say thank you to my colleague from Missouri, Congresswoman Ann Wagner, for organizing tonight's Special Order hour but, probably more importantly, a bipartisan Special Order hour. And let me say, I proudly wear this bracelet in honor of all of those survivors. I also want to note that her work as a former United States Ambassador exposed her firsthand to the horrors of human trafficking on an international level. Her work has raised awareness of this problem and has laid the foundation for congressional action. Despite international efforts to eradicate human trafficking, it still exists and affects communities in every country, including the United States. This transnational crime exploits the weakest and often subjects victims to mental and physical abuse. Human trafficking is an estimated multibillion-dollar-a-year international enterprise that forces the weakest among us into the horrors of modern day slavery. It is also one of the fastest-growing crimes in the world. In fact, according to the United States State Department, human trafficking is the world's second-largest criminal enterprise, Mr. Speaker, after illegal drug trade. It is forced prostitution, domestic slavery, and forced labor. It is also oftentimes underground and masked so well that it is difficult to recognize. These victims are our housekeepers, our farmworkers brought into the United States by labor brokers who promised a job but enslaved these victims instead.…”