Global Anti-Human Trafficking Enhancement Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. JAMES. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friends, Mrs. Radewagen and Ms. Manning, for their support of this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak in support of my bill, H.R. 7089, the Global Anti-Human Trafficking Enhancement Act.

God's children are not for sale. Mr. Speaker, I am sure we can all agree that human trafficking must be eradicated everywhere.

The effort behind this legislation is about confronting modern-day slavery, a major stain, the worst stain, on humanity and decency.

My bill allows the State Department, specifically the Diplomatic Security Service, to investigate instances of transnational human trafficking. To clarify, a human trafficking violation is transnational when part of the offense occurs outside of the United States or involves one or more foreign nationals.

Currently, Diplomatic Security must account for document fraud to allow them to start investigating these instances--minutiae, bureaucracy, red tape. We are going to cut that red tape with this bill.

My bill further complements current Federal law enforcement efforts to prosecute these instances, given Diplomatic Security's global reach.

Differences in language and culture are commonly the greatest barriers to successfully prosecuting these transnational trafficking purveyors. Diplomatic Security is by far the most widely internationally represented U.S. law enforcement agency, with agents operating in over 270 posts all over the world.

I often hear: Why is America involved in different parts of this world? Well, when it comes to the safety of our children, young adults, the elderly, the most vulnerable around the world, American leadership can do more to help bring justice to these victims.

According to the State Department: ``There are about 27.6 million victims worldwide of human trafficking at any given time.'' Those are just the ones we know about.

This evil and depraved industry preys on people of all ages, backgrounds, and nationalities for their own profit--again, particularly women, children, and people coming from impoverished backgrounds.

God's will is clear. Luke 4:18-19 reads: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because He has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recover sight to the blind and set at liberty those who are oppressed, and to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.

Mr. Speaker, my bill empowers our law enforcement to liberate the oppressed and the captive, and I ask my colleagues to please support H.R. 7089.

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