[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 148 (Wednesday, October 27, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2203]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         COMPREHENSIVE ANTI-TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS ACT OF 1999

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. SAM GEJDENSON

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, October 27, 1999

  Mr. GEJDENSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise to introduce the Comprehensive 
Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 1999, legislation to combat 
trafficking in human beings, a form of modern day slavery. Thirty-four 
Members of Congress are original co-sponsors of this bill. I commend my 
colleagues for lending their bi-partisan support to this legislation, 
which seeks to combat in the United States and countries around the 
world one of the worst human rights violations of our time.
  More than one million people, predominantly women and children, are 
trafficked around the world each year. U.S. Intelligence Agencies 
estimate that 45-50,000 women and children are trafficked annually into 
the United States, primarily from the Former Soviet Union and Southeast 
Asia.
  Trafficking networks, dominated by organized criminal groups, lure or 
force victims into the industry using various schemes. Traffickers buy 
young girls from relatives, kidnap children from their homes, or allure 
women with false promises of earning money overseas as dancers, maids, 
factory workers, sales clerks or models. Traffickers then use tactics 
including rape, starvation, torture, extreme physical brutality and 
psychological abuse to force victims to work under slavery-like 
conditions as prostitutes, in sweatshops, or as domestic servants.
  Trafficking in human beings is a multi-billion dollar industry that 
is growing at an alarming rate. Consequently, the United States must 
act now to combat all forms of trafficking and protect and assist 
trafficking victims. This legislation employs a domestic and 
international approach to this effort because we cannot stop 
trafficking into the United States if we do not address the root causes 
of this phenomenon in countries around the world.
  The Comprehensive Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 1999 strengthens 
prosecution and enforcement tools against traffickers operating in the 
United States and expands existing services to meet the needs of 
domestic trafficking victims. This legislation also works through our 
international affairs agencies to help other countries prevent 
trafficking, protect victims, and enforce their own anti-trafficking 
laws. The bill creates an Inter-Agency Task Force to Monitor and Combat 
Trafficking, comprised of cabinet level members and chaired by the 
Secretary of State, and requires expanded coverage on trafficking in 
the annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices. Finally, this 
legislation establishes a humanitarian, non-immigrant visa 
classification for trafficking victims in the United States and gives 
the President discretionary authority to impose sanctions against 
countries and individuals involved in trafficking.
  Please join me and my colleagues in supporting the Comprehensive 
Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 1999.

                          ____________________