Political Quotes

“Mr. President, I also rise to applaud Congress for including important funding in the Omnibus appropriations bill that will help in our efforts to fight human trafficking and slavery around the world through the End Modern Slavery Initiative Act. I think most Americans would be stunned to know that over 27 million people are enslaved in more than 187 countries, including our own. Over 27 million people are enslaved today. That is more than four times the population of my home State of Tennessee. Modern slavery comes in many forms and it preys on women and children the most. This brutal, multibillion-dollar industry deprives individuals of their basic human rights. Rather than holding a schoolbook, children in India are stacking bricks. Rather than sitting in a classroom, young girls in the Philippines are sitting in brothels forced into sexual servitude. In Ghana, young boys are forced into a life of slavery on fishing boats, and worldwide men and women hoping only to better the lives of their families are stripped of their passports and trafficked for labor. I cannot thank the Senator from Texas enough for the incredible efforts he put forth to ensure that we do everything we can in our own country to keep this from happening. He has been heroic. These are our daughters, sons, mothers and fathers, and that is why it is so important that we take bold action.…”