[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 131 (Friday, September 28, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1662-E1663]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     APPLAUDING PRESIDENT OBAMA'S ENHANCED EFFORTS TO COMBAT HUMAN 
                              TRAFFICKING

                                  _____
                                 

                         HON. LAURA RICHARDSON

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, September 28, 2012

  Ms. RICHARDSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend President Barack 
Obama's address at the Clinton Global Initiative in New York. During 
his address, President Obama announced that the Administration would 
redouble its efforts to combat human trafficking at home and abroad. 
The administration's new initiatives will strengthen the existing zero-
tolerance policy on human trafficking in government contracting, will 
provide tools and training for federal officials to identify and assist 
trafficking victims, and will expand services and legal assistance to 
victims.
  Human trafficking continues to be an urgent and dire concern. There 
are an estimated 20 million men, women and children who are subjected 
to sex trafficking, forced labor, bonded labor, domestic servitude, and 
child soldiering. These practices, besides being an unconscionable 
attack on the world's most vulnerable, affect all of us on a daily 
basis. It fuels organized crime, damages public health, and taints our 
businesses' supply chains. However, President Obama's efforts will 
undoubtedly improve American leadership on this issue and bring new 
opportunities to aid victims around the world.
  As a member of the Congressional Human Trafficking Caucus, I have 
also worked hard to make this a congressional priority. My constituency 
includes approximately 50,000 Cambodians, most of whom resettled after 
fleeing

[[Page E1663]]

their native land during the murderous reign of Khmer Rouge. Cambodia, 
according to the United Nations Inter-Agency Project on Human 
Trafficking is one of the leading sources and destinations of 
trafficking in persons. Many of these victims are the friends and 
relatives of my constituents. They want very much to see their loved 
ones protected, and so do I.
  I have strongly advocated each year for enhanced funding to combat 
human trafficking, and I have spoken on the subject to the European 
Union Inter-Parliamentary Assembly as a part of the House Helsinki 
Commission. In the 111th Congress, I also introduced House Resolution 
929, which recognizes December 2 as ``International Day for the 
Abolition of Slavery.'' This resolution encourages member states of the 
United Nations to intensify their efforts to eradicate modern-day 
slavery, and it urges Americans to help raise awareness of the 
prevalence of this human rights abuse. I introduced a similar 
resolution in the 112th Congress supporting the goals and ideals of the 
International Day for the Abolition of Slavery.
  I am proud to report that House Resolution 929 was endorsed by the 
Frederick Douglass Family Foundation, the Coalition to Abolish Slavery 
& Trafficking, Safe Horizon, Freedom Network, Humanity United, 
Coalition to Abolish Modern-Day Slavery in Asia, Boat People SOS, and 
the Polaris Project blog. These modern day abolitionists are the true 
heroes, fighting on the frontlines to protect trafficking victims and 
serving as models of the compassion and leadership we should all strive 
to display every day.
  Mr. Speaker, this month marked the 150th Anniversary of the 
Emancipation Proclamation. On September 22, 1862, President Abraham 
Lincoln issued a proclamation that all slaves residing in the states in 
rebellion against the Union would forever be free. President Lincoln's 
bold move changed our nation for the better and is a defining moment in 
American history when we fully committed ourselves to protecting the 
liberty of every man, woman, and child.
  We must remain aware that the struggle continues and even hides 
within the borders of the United States. Human trafficking remains one 
of the gravest injustices of our time as it continues to rob millions 
of people of basic self-determination and dignity. Yet our government 
is making significant progress. I firmly believe that, through American 
leadership and global cooperation, we can bring the goal of eradication 
within reach.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank President Obama and Secretary of State Clinton 
for their steadfast support for anti-human trafficking initiatives, and 
I reaffirm my own dedication to combating all forms of modern slavery 
and upholding the American promise of freedom.

                          ____________________