[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 13 (Tuesday, January 27, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E125]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  HUMAN TRAFFICKING PRIORITIZATION ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                        HON. SHEILA JACKSON LEE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, January 26, 2015

  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, as a senior member of the Judiciary and 
Homeland Security Committees, I rise in strong support of H.R. 514, 
``Human Trafficking Prioritization Act.''
  I support this bipartisan legislation which amends the Trafficking 
Victims Protection Act of 2000 to change the status of the State 
Department Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking to that of the 
Bureau to Combat Trafficking in Persons.
  Mr. Speaker, this change in the name of this vital office can be 
accomplished without an increase in funding or personnel.
  H.R. 514, a bipartisan Foreign Affairs Committee bipartisan bill, 
directs the Secretary of State to report to Congress on each current 
Assistant Secretary of State position the exact title and length of 
designation as Assistant Secretary, and whether that designation was 
legislatively mandated or authorized and, if so, the relevant statutory 
citation; and
  Further, the Secretary State is asked whether they intend to 
designate one of the Assistant Secretary of State positions as the 
Assistant Secretary of State to Combat Trafficking in Persons, and the 
reasons for that decision.
  I have a concern regarding the bill's amendment of the Trafficking 
Victims Protection Act of 2000 to prohibit subsequent inclusion for 
more than one consecutive year on the special watch list of countries 
whose compliance with minimum standards for the elimination of human 
trafficking is full, partial, or insignificant if the country:
  was included on the list for four consecutive years after enactment 
of the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection 
Reauthorization Act of 2008, and
  was subsequently included on the exclusive Tier 3 list of countries 
not making significant efforts to bring themselves into compliance with 
such standards.
  It is important that the mechanisms for reaching determinations 
regarding compliance with anti-human trafficking measures are 
consistent and reliable over time.
  There should be care taken that places around the globe with long 
histories of human trafficking do not find ways limit access to 
information that would better measure their progress in eradicating the 
practice and bring to justice those involved.
  According to the Report, the most common form of human trafficking 
(79%) is sexual exploitation. The victims of sexual exploitation are 
predominantly women and girls. Surprisingly, in 30% of the countries 
which provided information on the gender of traffickers, women make up 
the largest proportion of traffickers. In some parts of the world, 
women trafficking women is the norm.
  The second most common form of human trafficking is forced labour 
(18%), although this may be a misrepresentation because forced labor is 
less frequently detected and reported than trafficking for sexual 
exploitation.
  Globally about 20% of all trafficking victims are children. 
Unfortunately in parts of Africa children are the majority, these 
numbers rise to 100% in some parts of West Africa.
  Many of those who are victims of human trafficking are exploited in 
locations near their home.
  According to the 2009 United National Report on ``Human Trafficking 
Exposes Modern Form of Slavery'' research reveals that internal 
regional and domestic trafficking are a source of the problems.
  The United Nations Protocol against Trafficking in Persons reports 
that in the past few years the number of Member States seriously 
implementing the Protocol has doubled going from 54 to 125 out of the 
155 nations.
  In 2009, there were many countries that lacked the necessary legal 
framework or political will to take on the issue of human trafficking.
  I join my colleagues in working to strengthen laws nationally and 
internationally against human trafficking, and supporting the 
allocation of resources toward that end.
  I urge all of my colleagues to join me in supporting passage of H.R. 
514.

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