Strengthening Child Welfare Response to Trafficking Act of 2015

Floor Speech

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Mrs. WAGNER. I thank the gentleman for yielding and for his leadership on this issue.

I also want to thank Judge Poe, who has fought this fight for so very many years.

It is marvelous to have seen in the 113th Congress five pieces of legislation on human trafficking move

through this Chamber. Now, tomorrow, we will pass 12 pieces of human trafficking to end the scourge of sex slavery in this country and beyond, and I could not be more proud of this Chamber and of the bipartisan effort to get this done.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 469, the Strengthening Child Welfare Response to Trafficking Act of 2015, sponsored by Representative Karen Bass.

Congresswoman Bass has been a long-time leader in Congress on the issue of human trafficking. Her legislation will strengthen the child welfare response to trafficking by ensuring that each State develops a plan that would identify children at risk of becoming victims of human trafficking. According to the Department of Justice, upwards of 300,000 American children are at risk of becoming the victims of crime.

One of the greatest challenges we face in combating this problem is a lack of accurate and reliable statistics. Frequently, those most at risk of falling victim to human trafficking are not identified early enough to intervene. By ensuring that child welfare agencies have systems in place to properly identify, to assess, and to document child victims of trafficking, H.R. 469 will move us towards a comprehensive, total solution to the scourge of human trafficking in the United States.

Mr. Speaker, I am also pleased to be sponsoring, at the end of our debate here, a Special Order on the issue of human trafficking. I invite all of my colleagues to join me on the floor as we talk about this important issue and about the 12 pieces of human trafficking legislation that will come forward tomorrow.

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