Enhancing Services for Runaway and Homeless VIctims of Youth Trafficking Act of 2015
Floor Speech
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Mr. WALBERG. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 468) to amend the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act to increase
knowledge concerning, and improve services for, runaway and homeless
youth who are victims of trafficking.
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Mr. WALBERG. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Enhancing
Services for Runaway and Homeless Victims of Youth Trafficking Act, and
I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, human trafficking is not just a concern in foreign
countries. It is happening right here in the United States and many
times in our own backyards.
In Michigan, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
has referred more than 13,000 CyberTipline reports of suspected child
sexual exploitation to law enforcement.
Last Congress, I hosted a series of human trafficking forums in my
district which brought together county prosecutors, sheriffs, the State
police, and members of the southern Michigan Task Force on Human
Trafficking to discuss how our community is dealing with these heinous
crimes and hear feedback on what additional actions Congress can take
to help local law enforcement combat trafficking.
One of the things I heard at my district roundtables is the need for
improved resources for victims' advocacy and support, especially for
youth victims and at-risk youth. Federal and State officials, law
enforcement, the courts, all of us have a moral obligation to eradicate
trafficking and support its victims.
It will take close coordination between all stakeholders to achieve
the dual goals of ending the human trafficking epidemic and assisting
the victims. That is why I am an original cosponsor of H.R. 468, the
Enhancing Services for Runaway and Homeless Victims of Youth
Trafficking Act.
This legislation will help better serve our most vulnerable youth who
are victims of extreme trafficking. This legislation amends the Runaway
and Homeless Youth Act to use existing grant resources to train staff
on the effects of human trafficking in runaway and homeless youth
victims and for developing statewide strategies to reach such youth.
It also allows the Secretary to utilize the existing Street Outreach
Program to provide street-based services for runaway and homeless youth
who are victims of trafficking.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague, Congressman Joe
Heck, for his leadership on this bill, as well as the Education and the
Workforce Committee chairman, Mr. Kline, and the ranking member, Mr.
Scott, for their work on moving this legislation forward. Our Nation's
runaway and homeless youth deserve access to services that will help
them escape a life of crime, abuse, and neglect.
Passing this simple fix to the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act will
help ensure that those suffering from the trauma of these deplorable
crimes will have access to the care and support they need.
I urge my colleagues to vote for H.R. 468, and I reserve the balance
of my time.
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Mr. WALBERG. Mr. Speaker, I thank the ranking member for his
statements in support of this legislation, I thank Mr. Heck for
sponsoring it, and Mr. Kline as the leader on this committee.
This is a privilege of service in this body, when we can come
together in a bipartisan fashion to do what is right for our country;
but, in this case, to do what is right for our defenseless young
people, many of whom have been caught into a web that offers nothing
but pain and misfortune for the future. To take a stand on this issue,
to stand for opportunity, to push back against the dark clouds of crime
that prey on young people is something that we can stand together on.
I think we have said significant words in support of this
legislation. Now it is time to get to work, and the best way to do
that, Mr. Speaker, as you and I both know, is to pass it.
So I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 468, and I yield back
the balance of my time.
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