Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I laud the leadership of the gentleman from California (Mr. Royce) and my good friend, the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Frankel), for taking a particular lead in our committee on this terribly important topic. I rise in support of H.R. 1625, the Targeted Rewards for the Global Eradication of Human Trafficking Act. Let me start by again thanking both of my colleagues for their leadership. I am also proud to be an original cosponsor of this bill to help bring human traffickers to justice. Human trafficking is an abhorrent practice, increasingly perpetrated by organized criminal enterprises, that deprives people of their most precious gift: human autonomy. Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness presume autonomy. Without autonomy, identity is lost, and the ability to pursue those inalienable rights Thomas Jefferson wrote about in our Declaration of Independence do not exist. They are nullified. This major transnational crime threatens United States security and humanitarian interests all over the world. This bill would allow the State Department to pay cash through the Rewards for Justice program for information leading to the arrest and conviction of human traffickers worldwide. These cash rewards are a proven method for cracking open international criminal networks. Congress originally established the program to gain more information in terrorism cases.…”