Hearing of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee - Opening Statement of Sen. Thune, Hearing on the Stop Enabling Sex traffickers Act

Hearing

Thank you for joining us today for our hearing on S.1693, the Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act of 2017, our second committee hearing on human trafficking this year.

I'm particularly thankful that we will have the benefit of hearing from Yvonne Ambrose, who -- very courageously -- will share her heartbreaking family story with us.

We will also hear from Senators Portman, Blumenthal, and Wyden, who will offer their perspectives about the current state of the law and the proposed changes.

We will then have the opportunity to hear from our panel of expert witnesses, who will share their views on this legislation, which has garnered significant support, but also raised some questions.

Last month, Senators Portman and Blumenthal introduced the Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act of 2017 with a bipartisan group of more than twenty cosponsors -- a number that has grown since then, and which includes eight members of this committee. As many already know, this bill would amend Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act to enable victims, as well as state and federal law enforcement, to bring to justice websites that knowingly facilitate sex trafficking.

Sex trafficking is an evil that affects every community across America. I think everyone agrees that more must done to address this horrendous problem. That's why the conversation we're having today is so important.

As I mentioned, earlier this year, this committee held a hearing to examine ways that our nation's transportation providers and supply chains can fight the growth of sex trafficking in the United States and slave labor in the global economy.

That same week, Senators Klobuchar, Nelson, and I introduced two bills to address human trafficking prevention and enforcement in transportation. I'm proud that both bills passed the full Senate last week, and I am hopeful that the House of Representatives will act soon to send these bills to the President's desk.

There is, however, more that can be done. That brings us to the legislation before us today.

I want to be clear: the website backpage.com has been the impetus for much of the discussion around Section 230, and nearly everyone agrees that the website should be held accountable. But this is not the "Anti-backpage.com Act of 2017." This legislation is intended to address a larger problem, not a specific website.

Backpage may have suspended its "adult services" section amid pressure from the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, but what about the next online haven for such activity?

At the same time, some argue that because we frequently know exactly where this sort of activity is taking place online, law enforcement can better monitor it, and fight it. Such observers caution that, if our legislative solution is too broad, it could have the opposite of its intended effect.

Given this challenge, I believe the cooperation of the tech industry will be critical to any effective solution this committee and our Senate colleagues might hope to forge. There are many positive stories to be told about how internet companies work with law enforcement and victim's rights organizations to fight sex trafficking, but I believe that these companies -- like the rest of us -- have an obligation to do more.

I look forward to hearing more from Ms. Abigail Slater, who is here today representing the Internet Association, and who will tell us more about the specific work the association's member companies do, and will do, to fight those who would use their platforms for evil.

We will also hear from California Attorney General Becerra, who will offer testimony from his perspective as the chief law enforcement officer of the state of California. Attorney General Becerra is currently prosecuting a case against backpage.com, and can offer insight into the legal history of such cases. He can also speak to the recent request by 50 state and territorial Attorneys General to be allowed to enforce their respective criminal laws pertaining to sex trafficking in this arena.

Ms. Youras is here today representing the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which serves as the national clearinghouse for reports relating to child sex trafficking, and as the coordinator of the national response to problems relating to missing and exploited children.

Finally, Mr. Goldman is a law professor at Santa Clara University School of Law, who has devoted much of his professional life to analyzing laws and their impact on the internet, and will be able to speak about the potential legal consequences of the proposed changes contemplated by this legislation.

Thank you all for being here and for the advocacy and work you are engaged in. These are issues that are often difficult to discuss, but I believe this committee provides an appropriate venue for serious consideration of difficult matters, and I appreciate your participation in our discussion.

Finally, before I turn to Ranking Member Nelson for his opening statement, I just want to acknowledge that our colleague Senator McCain had also hoped to join us today, given his long leadership on efforts to combat human trafficking, but he had an unavoidable conflict at the Armed Services Committee, which he chairs. Without objection, Senator McCain's statement will be included in the record. I would note, however, that we are honored to have Mrs. Cindy McCain in our audience today, along with a number of distinguished guests, including Senator Heitkamp.

With that, I turn to Senator Nelson.

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