Human Trafficking Legislation

Floor Speech

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Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, President Obama recently proclaimed this to be National Crime Victims' Rights Week, a stark reminder of the countless victims of modern slavery who continue to suffer horrifying exploitation at the hands of human traffickers, a stark reminder of the need to pass the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act.

It is a bill that victims groups and advocates call ``the most comprehensive and thoughtful piece of anti-trafficking legislation currently pending.'' It provides unprecedented support to domestic victims of trafficking who are all too often invisible and underserved. This group further said: ``As leaders in the anti-trafficking, anti-violence, child welfare, civil rights, runaway and homeless youth, and human rights movements, we urge Congress to pass this critical piece of legislation.''

There have been good-faith negotiations to resolve the impasse that has prevented the Senate from moving forward on this bill. I am glad that we can now say there is a bipartisan proposal that would allow us to complete action on this important legislation so we can provide help to the victims who desperately need it.

As soon as we finish the trafficking bill, as I have indicated for some time now, we will move to the President's nominee for Attorney General--hopefully, in the next day or so.

I particularly want to thank the senior Senator from Texas for leading these negotiations and for his continued diligence on this important issue. There is really no stronger advocate for victims of human trafficking than Senator Cornyn.

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