Justice For Victims Of Trafficking Act Of 2015

Floor Speech

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Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, so many Members helped us get this bill back on a bipartisan path, but I want to thank Senators REID, CORNYN, KLOBUCHAR, FEINSTEIN, MIKULSKI, and LEAHY in particular for their work. I also want to thank all of the staff who have worked extremely hard to get this done, especially Melanie Rainer from my staff.

From the beginning of this debate, Democrats have been very clear that this bill to help survivors should focus squarely on that goal alone. We also felt this conversation was no place for a debate about restrictions on women's health access. While there are clear differences between the two parties when it comes to women's health, I know Senator Cornyn and many others agreed with us that an effort to fight back against human trafficking in our country is, without question, no place for gridlock and dysfunction. It should not have taken this long, but I am very pleased that we were able to work together, find common ground, and reach an agreement.

This agreement isn't perfect. No comprise ever is, and I am sure my colleagues on the other side of the aisle would say the same thing. I believe there is much more we can and must do to protect and strengthen women's access to comprehensive, high-quality health care.

In the 21st century, there is no reason a woman should be prevented from exercising her constitutionally guaranteed right to make her own choices about her own body. That is something I could not feel more strongly about, and I am going to keep working to not only protect that right but expand and improve access to care for women across the country.

I am very glad, however, that the amendment we are proposing this morning would provide survivors now with real, dedicated funds and support, including important health services. Critically, this amendment would take away the expansion of restrictions on women's health that would have occurred under the original legislation. It would ensure that the Hyde language is now not expanded to any new programs under this bill.

I hope my colleagues will join us in supporting this amendment so we can pass this bill to help trafficking survivors, and then move as quickly as possible to confirm our highly qualified nominee for Attorney General.

I thank my colleagues again for their work to reach this compromise. The families and communities we serve rightly expect us to work together to solve problems and not let gridlock and dysfunction get in the way of results. I am very pleased we were able to find that common ground and a path forward for this important legislation. I am very hopeful that now we will be able to continue working together to tackle the many other challenges our country faces.

I yield the floor.

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