[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Con. Res. 40 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. CON. RES. 40

Supporting the goals and ideals of observing the National Day of Human 
Trafficking Awareness on January 11 of each year to raise awareness of 
                  and opposition to human trafficking.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             June 22, 2007

 Mrs. Feinstein (for herself, Mr. Cornyn, Mr. Coleman, Mr. Obama, and 
  Mr. Lugar) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was 
                        considered and agreed to

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
Supporting the goals and ideals of observing the National Day of Human 
Trafficking Awareness on January 11 of each year to raise awareness of 
                  and opposition to human trafficking.

Whereas the United States has a tradition of advancing fundamental human rights;
Whereas because the people of the United States remain committed to protecting 
        individual freedom, there is a national imperative to eliminate human 
        trafficking, including early or forced marriage, commercial sexual 
        exploitation, forced labor, labor obtained through debt bondage, 
        involuntary servitude, slavery, and slavery by descent;
Whereas to combat human trafficking in the United States and globally, the 
        people of the United States and the Federal Government, including local 
        and State governments, must be aware of the realities of human 
        trafficking and must be dedicated to stopping this contemporary 
        manifestation of slavery;
Whereas beyond all differences of race, creed, or political persuasion, the 
        people of the United States face national threats together and refuse to 
        let human trafficking exist in the United States and around the world;
Whereas the United States should actively oppose all individuals, groups, 
        organizations, and nations who support, advance, or commit acts of human 
        trafficking;
Whereas the United States must also work to end human trafficking around the 
        world through education;
Whereas victims of human trafficking need support in order to escape and to 
        recover from the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual trauma 
        associated with their victimization;
Whereas human traffickers use many physical and psychological techniques to 
        control their victims, including the use of violence or threats of 
        violence against the victim or the victim's family, isolation from the 
        public, isolation from the victim's family and religious or ethnic 
        communities, language and cultural barriers, shame, control of the 
        victim's possessions, confiscation of passports and other identification 
        documents, and threats of arrest, deportation, or imprisonment if the 
        victim attempts to reach out for assistance or to leave;
Whereas although laws to prosecute perpetrators of human trafficking and to 
        assist and protect victims of human trafficking have been enacted in the 
        United States, awareness of the issues surrounding human trafficking by 
        those people most likely to come into contact with victims is essential 
        for effective enforcement because the techniques that traffickers use to 
        keep their victims enslaved severely limit self-reporting; and
Whereas the effort by individuals, businesses, organizations, and governing 
        bodies to promote the observance of the National Day of Human 
        Trafficking Awareness on January 11 of each year represents one of the 
        many examples of the ongoing commitment in the United States to raise 
        awareness of and to actively oppose human trafficking: Now, therefore, 
        be it
    Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring), 
That Congress supports the goals and ideals of observing the National 
Day of Human Trafficking Awareness on January 11 of each year and all 
other efforts to raise awareness of and opposition to human 
trafficking.
                                 <all>