Political Quotes

“I thank the chairman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, human trafficking is an issue that I believe many people see as far removed from them and their families, but the reality is that it is happening all around us: in our schools, near our homes, on Web sites that our kids visit and frequent. My words are not intended to alarm people today but to bring into perspective that it isn't just happening overseas or in communities far away from our homes. It is happening across this country, even in my home State of South Dakota. In my State, there are three main ways that people are trafficked, according to Kimberly LaPlante, who works at an organization called Call to Freedom in Sioux Falls. One, trafficking victims are brought from bigger cities or from our Native American reservations and sent to the North Dakota oil fields. Two, they are sold at large events, like the annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. Or three, it is homegrown trafficking, meaning this demand originates in my State, and that, by the way, is the most common problem across this country. In 2013, the South Dakota Attorney General's Office held a 6-day undercover operation at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in western South Dakota. They put up an online ad and, over the 6 days, received more than 180 responses. Local law enforcement did the same thing in a community not far from my home. Over the course of 2 days, they received 110 responses.…”