Political Quotes

“I find myself in this moment on H.R. 4323, the Trafficking Survivors Relief Act, in somewhat of a deja vu. I did this legislation at the State level, and I talked to victims of human trafficking and those who have used this legal mechanism as a sense of relief to expunge their crimes, to get their prior convictions vacated, to apply for housing, and to go on with their lives in a very meaningful way. What they would share with me and what I will share with you today is that this absolutely matters to them. Being able to turn the page on their past is not easy. It is not easy for a victim of human trafficking to come forward. There is shame sometimes in doing so. There is extreme guilt. When they get that chance to do that, this is an incredibly important step. Here is the caveat that I think is often overlooked. Law enforcement loves this bill, too. Why is that? Because during a prosecution of a criminal defendant who is a trafficking victim, or within a conviction of a human-trafficking victim, victims are allowed to tell their story. One, it is very therapeutic and helpful to the victims themselves, but for the law enforcement folks, they can go after the real bad actors. I think that is the key crux of this bill, and I think that is what unites Republicans and Democrats, House and Senate Members, and the law enforcement community and victim organizations.”