Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of 2015

Floor Speech

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Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, for the past 10 days this body has been
engaged in an important debate on a bill that has had widespread,
bipartisan support, that was reported unanimously by the Senate
Judiciary Committee, and that would help to end the scourge of human
trafficking.

I am a cosponsor of this bill because I believe it will help equip
law enforcement and prosecutors with the tools they need to combat
these horrific sex trafficking crimes.

I, along with my colleague, Senator Leahy, have also introduced a
bill--that we have filed as an amendment--that would reauthorize the
Runaway and Homeless Youth Act programs so we can also have a
prevention piece in this legislation.

Many Members of this body have worked very hard on this legislation.
Senator Cornyn, whose bill we are considering, has been a real leader
in the area of human trafficking. Senator Klobuchar also has a bill I
have been proud to cosponsor. Senator Grassley and Senator Leahy, at
the request of all 20 of the women Senators, held a hearing on this
issue at which I was privileged to testify, along with Senator Ayotte,
Senator Mikulski, and Senator Gillibrand.

I applaud the Judiciary Committee for its work in shining a light on
some of the darkest stories imaginable. No State is immune from the
evils of human trafficking.

Just recently in Maine, a couple was arrested for allegedly
trafficking a girl who was only 13 years old. They used the Internet to
sell her for sex.

The Runaway and Homeless Youth and Trafficking Prevention Act that
Senator Leahy and I have cosponsored seeks to prevent young people from
ever getting trapped in these situations in the first place, and I hope
we can move on to that bill, which we have filed as an amendment.

But, regrettably, we find ourselves at an impasse--imagine that--an
impasse on a bill that would help curb human trafficking. How can that
be?

Senator Heitkamp and I have joined forces to try to move this bill
forward. That is our goal, and the goal of the amendment we have filed.

What our amendment would do, and it is very straightforward, is it
would subject the fund that Senator Cornyn has created, and which I
strongly support, to the annual appropriations process and to all of
the usual restrictions that the Appropriations Committee can and does
add to appropriations bills.

There is precedent for taking a fund that is not financed by tax
dollars and sending it through the appropriations process. It, frankly,
happens all the time. We have seen it with the oil and gas revenues
that go to the Land and Water Conservation Fund. Those are not tax
dollars.

We have seen it with a number of fees and restitution programs that
are not tax dollars but go through the appropriations process, where
the Appropriations Committee can work its will.

Under out amendment, all of the money collected from special
assessments imposed on certain trafficking criminals and deposited into
the fund would still be made available to anti-trafficking and victims'
services grant programs, but only through the direction of the annual
appropriations process. By placing the fund squarely within the
jurisdiction of appropriators, each and every penny collected would be
subject to the limitations in those appropriations bills. Our amendment
would strike the reference that has been the sources of this
controversy from this authorizing bill, but does not alter that
restriction on federal funds that has existed for 39 years.

Our amendment makes clear that money in the fund, or transferred from
the fund, is subject to the limitations provided in appropriations
acts.

I believe our amendment, by allowing the Appropriations Committee to
put whatever restrictions are appropriate on this fund--and I have no
doubt the usual restrictions will be put on by the Appropriations
Committee--could get this bill to move forward, and those such as
Senator Cornyn, Senator Klobuchar, and others who have worked so hard
to bring this bill to the Senate floor, will see there is a path
forward.

We owe it to the victims of human trafficking. We owe it to the
victims of human trafficking. We owe it to them. We cannot fail in this
task. If we cannot approve a bill to deal with human trafficking, then
what will we be able to deal with?

We have to get past the tendency to score partisan, political points
that have affected too many bills on both sides of the aisle. In this
case, it is simply too important.

I thank my dear friend and colleague from North Dakota, Senator
Heitkamp, who has been an attorney general, who has dealt with the
victims of this terrible crime, for coming forward and joining with me
as we attempt to put forth--for our colleagues' sincere consideration--
a path forward that will end this impasse.

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Ms. COLLINS. If I could respond through the Chair, Mr. President, I
do have the privilege of serving on the Committee on Appropriations,
and I have seen the restrictions we have put on funds over the years.
One of those restrictions which is at issue here goes back 39 years. So
it is not unusual for the Committee on Appropriations to put certain
limitations on the use of funds.

As I explained earlier, the Committee on Appropriations also deals
with nontax dollars. It is not unusual for us to appropriate money that
comes from the collection of fines, of fees, of penalties, from leases.
This is common. So what we are proposing in this bill is not anything
new, unusual, or unique. It would be part of the standard
appropriations process.

Indeed, Senator Cornyn actually raised the idea on the floor today of
having the victims fund go through the appropriations process. We
differ in language, so I don't want to imply there is any endorsement,
but the concept is one the author of the bill has raised.

So in response to my colleague from North Dakota, who has spoken so
eloquently of her experience in dealing with the victims of human
trafficking, I would assure her that as a member of the Committee on
Appropriations, I know full well that we put restrictions and
limitations on funding as a standard course.

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Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, I again want to thank my colleague from
North Dakota for her very eloquent plea to our colleagues.

I know we can do this. I know we can find a path forward. I know we
can get a sufficient number of votes so that we can proceed and debate
the many amendments that have been filed on this bill. I know we can do
it. The victims of this horrific crime deserve no less from the United
States Senate, so let's not fail them. Let's not fail them.

Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

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