Rob Portman: “I rise to express my appreciation that this afternoon the Senate is finally getting back to legislating on the important…”

“I rise to express my appreciation that this afternoon the Senate is finally getting back to legislating on the important issue of human trafficking. It is critical we pass this legislation to combat one of the world's most heinous crimes and one that threatens thousands of innocent people every year. I am the cochair and cofounder of the human trafficking caucus. Our opportunity is not only to raise awareness of this issue but also to pass important legislation to address the problem. We learned that human trafficking is now a $32 billion worldwide industry, leaving it only second in size to the drug trade for criminal activity. Many view this as an international problem. They think, well, this happens somewhere else or on another continent, such as Africa or Asia. The fact is it happens right here. Of course, every country around the world has a responsibility to fight back against traffickers and stop their acts of violence. But while this industry has a global reach, the reality is that human trafficking is a major problem not only in my home State of Ohio, it is a problem in every State represented in the Senate. The Justice Department has told us that the average age of victims getting involved in trafficking is 12 to 14 years old. Think about that. These are children. These are kids. The number of American children at risk of sexual exploitation and human trafficking is estimated to be about 300,000.…”