Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act

Floor Speech

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Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the gentlewoman's motion to recommit because there are children out there who need to be saved. They are waiting to be saved.

This motion provides additional funding for the Internet Crimes Against Children program, a national network of 61 coordinated law enforcement task forces investigating and prosecuting those who sexually exploit our most vulnerable constituents, our children.

With the proliferation of the Internet and wireless technology, online child pornography has become an epidemic. And let's not forget that these are not just heinous images. They are crime scene photos. The ICAC needs resources to go after these criminals now.

According to estimates, half of these arrests lead us to the door of a hands-on offender, and that is a child waiting to be rescued. Yet in one recent year, the ICAC only had the resources to investigate a mere 2 percent of all leads.

Previous increases in Federal funding have directly resulted in thousands more arrests, contributing to many more thousands of children who are outright rescued or who will be spared contact with an abuser.

Let's take this opportunity to help the ICAC rescue more children. Please, think about these precious babies being victimized. Let's rescue as many of them as possible. If you are a parent, God forbid it was your own child.

I urge Members' support for the motion to recommit, and I thank the gentlewoman for her commitment to making sure that we can rescue America's victimized children.

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