[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 12 (Monday, January 26, 2015)]
[House]
[Pages H553-H555]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              MISSING CHILDREN'S ASSISTANCE ACT AMENDMENT

  Mr. WALBERG. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 246) to improve the response to victims of child sex 
trafficking.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                                H.R. 246

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. RESPONSE TO VICTIMS OF CHILD SEX TRAFFICKING.

       Section 404(b)(1)(P)(iii) of the Missing Children's 
     Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5773(b)(1)(P)(iii)) is amended by 
     striking ``child prostitution'' and inserting ``child sex 
     trafficking, including child prostitution''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Michigan (Mr. Walberg) and the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Scott) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Michigan.

                              {time}  1700


                             General Leave

  Mr. WALBERG. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks 
and include extraneous material on H.R. 246.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Michigan?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. WALBERG. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 246, and I 
yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, today, the House of Representatives continues its 
commitment to bolstering enforcement efforts against human traffickers 
in the United States and ensuring that we properly identify and serve 
victims.
  I want to thank Congresswoman Joyce Beatty for her leadership on this 
issue and for introducing H.R. 246, which will improve the ability of 
law enforcement officials and others to respond to and assist these 
victims.
  The House voted 409-0 to pass this legislation last summer, and as 
previous House efforts have done, the bills being considered today 
attempt to change for the better how we view victims.
  For too long, these victims have been seen as willing participants 
and treated as actors in the criminal scheme; however, we now know 
that, oftentimes, individuals are trapped as victims by human 
trafficking organizations and, sadly, many of these victims are 
children.
  Congresswoman Beatty's legislation will ensure that we view victims 
of sex trafficking not as participants, but as victims, and ensure that 
child sex trafficking crimes are reported.
  Under current law, the National Center for Missing and Exploited 
Children operates the CyberTipline to provide online users and 
electronic service providers a means of reporting Internet-related 
child sexual exploitation in many areas, including child prostitution.
  H.R. 246 would replace the term ``child prostitution'' with ``child 
sex trafficking'' in the CyberTipline reporting categories to reinforce 
that children who are sex-trafficked or sexually exploited are victims 
whose situation should be taken seriously when reported.
  It would also ensure the public recognizes that child prostitution is 
included in how NCMEC uses the term ``child sex trafficking'' and thus 
should still be reported to the CyberTipline.
  Again, I want to thank Congresswoman Beatty, along with the Education 
and the Workforce Committee and House leadership for recognizing the 
need to steadfastly address this dreadful practice.
  With that, Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 246, and 
I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 246, a bill to improve the 
response to victims of child sex trafficking.
  The bipartisan bill, sponsored by the gentlewoman from Ohio (Mrs. 
Beatty), would amend the Missing Children's Assistance Act by adding 
the term ``child sex trafficking'' to the list of items which may be 
reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children's 
CyberTipline.
  Under the act, the center operates the CyberTipline to allow online 
users and electronic service providers a way of reporting Internet-
related child sexual exploitation, including child prostitution.
  The term ``trafficking'' more accurately describes the circumstances 
by which children are sexually exploited and reinforces the notion that 
they are victims, not criminals. Adding trafficking to the list of 
items that may be reported to the center will not only help the center 
continue its outstanding work of finding and helping victims, but it 
will also help experts in the field of missing and exploited children 
better understand the nature and extent of the problem.
  I am grateful to the gentlewoman from Ohio for introducing this 
important legislation, and I appreciate her partnership with the 
majority, including the chairman of the full Committee on Education and 
the Workforce, Chairman Kline; the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. 
Walberg); and other sponsors.
  I urge my colleagues to support the legislation, and I reserve the 
balance of my time.
  Mr. WALBERG. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my 
time.
  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may 
consume to the gentlewoman from Ohio (Mrs. Beatty), the sponsor of the 
legislation.
  Mrs. BEATTY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 246, a 
bipartisan bill I introduced which will help victims of child sex 
trafficking by decriminalizing their behavior.
  First, I would like to thank Chairman Kline from Minnesota and 
Ranking Member Scott from Virginia of the Education and the Workforce 
Committee for bringing this important bill to the floor for 
consideration.
  I want to also thank Representative Walberg, who is managing the 
bill, for his kind words and his leadership. He is managing the bill 
today for the Republicans. I also thank Congresswoman Karen Bass and 
Congresswoman Ann Wagner for their leadership and support.
  Also, I would like to thank Senator Portman, who I partnered with on 
this issue last Congress and who introduced the companion legislation 
in the Senate. I look forward to working with him again during the 
114th Congress to advance this legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, last Congress, the House passed this exact bill 
unanimously by a vote of 409-0. Today, I hope that my colleagues in the 
House will again approve this legislation with overwhelming bipartisan 
support so we can better assist victims of child sex trafficking and 
ensure they are viewed and treated as victims, not criminals.
  Earlier this month, I had the opportunity to participate in Ohio's 
sixth annual Human Trafficking Awareness Day, which was held in my 
district at the Ohio statehouse. It was standing

[[Page H554]]

room only. The event was chaired by State Representative Teresa Fedor 
from Toledo, who has spent a lifetime on this issue. There, we heard 
story after story from victims, survivors, and advocates, just like the 
ones we heard on the House floor earlier today.
  Almost every time I am home in my district in Ohio, I hear from 
people who are concerned about the victims of child sex trafficking. 
Constituents implore me to have Congress do more to protect those among 
us who are the most vulnerable, those who are being forced into what 
many deem modern-day slavery.
  This is for a good reason. Human trafficking is one of the fastest-
growing crimes in the world. In fact, according to the U.S. State 
Department, human trafficking is the world's second largest criminal 
enterprise, after the illegal drug trade. Criminals involved in 
trafficking trade prey on those children already at risk in our 
society, the children who fall through the cracks in our society.
  In the United States, some 300,000 children are at risk each year of 
commercial sexual exploitation. Mr. Speaker, many of these children are 
runaways, homeless, and in and out of foster care. These 
children deserve better.

  The average age of a trafficked victim in the United States is 12 
years of age. Mr. Speaker, this is shameful. At 12 years old, children 
should be playing sports, participating in their school science fair, 
learning new languages, or just being children. They should not be for 
sale night after night.
  In my home State of Ohio, each year, there is an estimated 1,100 Ohio 
children who become victims of human trafficking, and over 3,000 more 
are at risk. Ohio is the fifth leading State for human trafficking 
because of its proximity to a waterway that leads to an international 
border and a system of interstate highways that allow an individual to 
exit the State within 2 hours to almost anywhere.
  The I-75 corridor runs through Toledo, Dayton, and Cincinnati. It is 
infamous for subjecting children to the horrors of sex trafficking, 
with reports of victims being repeatedly abused.
  We know that no single system can successfully combat trafficking. 
Preventing, identifying, and serving victims of trafficking requires a 
multicoordinated approach across all levels of government. We need to 
encourage all people: when they see something, say something.
  How can concerned citizens report activities of suspected child 
exploitation? Currently, the National Center for Missing and Exploited 
Children operates a CyberTipline, which receives leads and tips 
regarding suspected crimes of sexual exploitation committed against 
children.
  This CyberTipline is operated in partnership with the FBI, 
Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the United States Postal 
Inspection Service, United States Secret Service, United States 
Department of Justice, as well as other State and local enforcement 
agencies.
  These reports are constantly monitored to help ensure children in 
imminent danger get first priority. More than 2.8 million reports of 
suspected child exploitation have been made to the CyberTipline between 
1998 and October of 2014.
  Under current law, child sex trafficking is not identified as one of 
the types of sexual exploitation that should be reported to the 
CyberTipline, even though the National Center for Missing and Exploited 
Children encounters child victims of sex trafficking and currently uses 
this term on its Web site in order to encourage the public's reporting 
of these types of crimes.
  Instead, the statute uses the term ``child prostitution''--yes, child 
prostitution, Mr. Speaker--which we know does not fully and accurately 
capture these types of crimes against children. My bill would add the 
phrase ``child sex trafficking, including child prostitution,'' to 
section b(1)(p) of the Missing Children's Assistance Act.
  This legislation was crafted in order to improve and update the law 
in order to reflect the current state of Federal laws and to reinforce 
that children who are sex-trafficked or sexually exploited are victims 
and not criminals.
  Mr. Speaker, children in sex trafficking situations are often 
misidentified as ``willing'' participants. We know there is a 
widespread lack of awareness and understanding of trafficking.
  Take, for instance, a story I recently heard about Holly, who is a 
survivor of human trafficking. When Holly was 14 years old, she ran 
away from home with a man she had met at a shopping mall. Holly and 
this man exchanged phone numbers. He continued to pursue Holly over the 
course of many months.
  Convincing her to run away with him was not an overnight 
accomplishment. He got to know her, analyzed her troubles, and asked 
about her dreams. He did this so that when Holly was on her summer 
break from the eighth grade, the pressures of her 14-year-old world 
boiled to the surface.
  With all this confusion and pressure Holly was feeling, this predator 
was able to convince her to flee towards what she thought was 
opportunity, possibility, and freedom. In reality, Holly ran right into 
the clutches of a sexual trafficking ring. Within hours of running away 
with what turned out to be a manipulative and threatening pimp, she was 
coerced into prostitution.
  Fortunately for Holly, eventually an officer on the street thought 
that she seemed underage, so he approached her and arrested her. She 
was soon recognized to be a victim and began the long journey toward 
healing. Today, I am proud to say that Holly is an advocate for 
stronger anti-trafficking laws and greater protection for survivors of 
all forms of human trafficking.
  This bill, H.R. 246, is intended to protect young children like 
Holly, to rescue and restore them. By adding the term ``child sex 
trafficking, including child prostitution,'' to the Missing Children's 
Assistance Act, we will be able to continue to fight the perception 
that sex trafficking is a voluntary, victimless crime, and this will 
exclude them from prostitution.
  I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

                              {time}  1715

  Mr. WALBERG. Mr. Speaker, we have no further speakers at this time, 
and so I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, how much time is available on 
this side?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Virginia has 8\1/2\ 
minutes remaining.
  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may 
consume to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Bass), who has worked 
on all of the bills we have considered today.
  Ms. BASS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 246, a 
bill to improve the response to victims of child trafficking.
  First, I would like to commend my colleague, Representative Joyce 
Beatty, for her commitment to transforming the language that we use to 
discuss child victims of sex trafficking and for taking the lead on 
this important legislation. After all, a child cannot consent to sex, 
so a child cannot be considered a prostitute. And her exploiter should 
never be called a john; he should be called what he is, a child 
molester.
  While trafficking advocates and organizations have worked tirelessly 
over the years to ensure that the framework and language we use to 
describe child victims of trafficking recognizes that they are, in 
fact, victims, we still have a long way to go. These children have gone 
through enough trauma. They do not need to continue to hear language 
that places the blame on them for a crime that an adult committed.
  Phone hotlines and cyber tip lines operated by organizations 
throughout the country are critical to ensuring that individuals have a 
means to report these incidents of human trafficking and child 
exploitation.
  Under this legislation, reports of domestic minor sex trafficking to 
the CyberTipline of the National Center for Missing and Exploited 
Children would be classified as ``child sex trafficking'' and no longer 
as ``child prostitution.'' This change would reinforce the fact that 
the children are victims and not criminals.
  Representative Beatty's bill is another critical building block to 
transforming the framework and dialogue around child victims of sex 
trafficking. I look forward to continuing to change the conversation 
and urge my colleagues in the House to support this important 
legislation.

[[Page H555]]

  Mr. WALBERG. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my 
time.
  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, we have no further requests for 
time. I want to thank all of the sponsors of the legislation for 
bringing it forward, this and the other two bills that we have also 
considered.
  I urge my colleagues to support the legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. WALBERG. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the remainder of my time.
  The passage of this legislation shows the House's commitment to 
providing the necessary tools and policies to help reduce child sex 
trafficking and better serve these victims, and on the recommendations 
and admonition of my colleagues today, again I would say, these victims 
in the United States.
  Mr. Speaker, this is good work that we are doing here. I submit, it 
is probably the type of work that our constituents are calling us to 
work across the aisle to accomplish.
  During the human trafficking roundtables I have held in my district, 
law enforcement officials have consistently raised the need to make 
community members aware of the real and present threat of human 
trafficking. We must work to not only educate children, but also 
families and the general public, about the safety risks.
  The statistics on sex trafficking and exploitation among young people 
are startling. Approximately one out of six runaway youth are likely 
victims of sex trafficking, and roughly one out of three youth are 
lured into prostitution, victimization, sex-trafficked within 48 hours 
of running away from home.
  This is happening all over the country and not just in my home State. 
Therefore, I urge all Members to lead efforts in their districts to 
continue the conversation about human trafficking to learn what more we 
can do in our communities and to curtail this heinous crime.
  H.R. 246 is another step to educating our communities about human 
trafficking victims, and it continues our work to ensure that we are 
doing what we can to help reduce this horrible crime.
  I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 246.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Walberg) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 246.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mrs. BEATTY. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further 
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.

                          ____________________