[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 13 (Tuesday, January 27, 2015)]
[House]
[Pages H600-H607]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
JUSTICE FOR VICTIMS OF TRAFFICKING ACT OF 2015
Mr. POE of Texas. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass
the bill (H.R. 181) to provide justice for the victims of trafficking,
as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 181
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Justice for Victims of
Trafficking Act of 2015''.
SEC. 2. VICTIM-CENTERED SEX TRAFFICKING DETERRENCE GRANT
PROGRAM.
Section 203 of the Trafficking Victims Protection
Reauthorization Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 14044b) is amended--
(1) by redesignating subsection (g) as subsection (j);
(2) by striking subsections (a) through (f), and inserting
the following:
``(a) Grants Authorized.--The Attorney General may make
grants to eligible entities to develop, improve, or expand
comprehensive domestic child human trafficking deterrence
programs that assist law enforcement officers, prosecutors,
judicial officials, and qualified victims' services
organizations in collaborating to rescue and restore the
lives of victims, while investigating and prosecuting
offenses involving child human trafficking.
``(b) Authorized Activities.--Grants awarded under
subsection (a) may be used for--
``(1) the establishment or enhancement of specialized
training programs for law enforcement officers, first
responders, health care officials, child welfare officials,
juvenile justice personnel, prosecutors, and judicial
personnel to--
``(A) identify victims and acts of child human trafficking;
``(B) address the unique needs of victims of child human
trafficking;
``(C) facilitate the rescue of victims of child human
trafficking;
``(D) investigate and prosecute acts of child human
trafficking, including the soliciting, patronizing, or
purchasing of commercial sex acts from children, as well as
training to build cases against complex criminal networks
involved in child human trafficking; and
``(E) implement and provide education on safe harbor laws
enacted by States, aimed at preventing the criminalization
and prosecution of victims of child human trafficking for
prostitution offenses;
``(2) the establishment or enhancement of dedicated anti-
child human trafficking law enforcement units and task forces
to investigate child human trafficking offenses and to rescue
victims, including--
``(A) funding salaries, in whole or in part, for law
enforcement officers, including patrol officers, detectives,
and investigators, except that the percentage of the salary
of the law enforcement officer paid for by funds from a grant
awarded under this section shall not be more than the
percentage of the officer's time on duty that is dedicated to
working on cases involving child human trafficking;
``(B) investigation expenses for cases involving child
human trafficking, including--
``(i) wire taps;
``(ii) consultants with expertise specific to cases
involving child human trafficking;
``(iii) travel; and
``(iv) other technical assistance expenditures;
``(C) dedicated anti-child human trafficking prosecution
units, including the funding of salaries for State and local
prosecutors, including assisting in paying trial expenses for
prosecution of child human trafficking offenses, except that
the percentage of the total salary of a State or local
prosecutor that is paid using an award under this section
shall be not more than the percentage of the total number of
hours worked by the prosecutor that is spent working on cases
involving child human trafficking; and
``(D) the establishment of child human trafficking victim
witness safety, assistance, and relocation programs that
encourage cooperation with law enforcement investigations of
crimes of child human trafficking by leveraging existing
resources and delivering child human trafficking victims'
services through coordination with--
``(i) child advocacy centers;
``(ii) social service agencies;
``(iii) State governmental health service agencies;
``(iv) housing agencies;
``(v) legal services agencies; and
``(vi) non-governmental organizations and shelter service
providers with substantial experience in delivering services
to victims of child human trafficking;
``(3) the establishment or enhancement of problem solving
court programs for child human trafficking victims that
include--
``(A) continuing judicial supervision of victims of child
human trafficking who have been identified by a law
enforcement or judicial officer as a potential victim of
child human trafficking, regardless of whether the victim has
been charged with a crime related to human trafficking;
``(B) the development of specialized and individualized
treatment programs for identified victims of child human
trafficking, including--
``(i) State-administered outpatient treatment;
``(ii) life skills training;
``(iii) housing placement;
``(iv) vocational training;
``(v) education;
``(vi) family support services; and
``(vii) job placement; and
``(C) collaborative efforts with child advocacy centers,
child welfare agencies, shelters, and non-governmental
organizations to provide services to victims and encourage
cooperation with law enforcement; and
``(4) the establishment or enhancement of victims' services
programs for victims of child human trafficking, which offer
services including--
``(A) residential care, including temporary or long-term
placement, as appropriate;
``(B) 24-hour emergency social services response systems;
and
``(C) counseling and case management services.
``(c) Application.--
``(1) In general.--An eligible entity shall submit an
application to the Attorney General for a grant under this
section in such form and manner as the Attorney General may
require.
``(2) Required information.--An application submitted under
this subsection shall--
``(A) disclose--
[[Page H601]]
``(i) any other grant funding from the Department of
Justice or from any other Federal department or agency for
purposes similar to those described in subsection (b) for
which the eligible entity has applied, and which application
is pending on the date of the submission of an application
under this section; and
``(ii) any other such grant funding that the eligible
entity has received during the 5-year period prior to the
date of the submission of an application under this section;
``(B) describe the activities for which assistance under
this section is sought;
``(C) include a detailed plan for the use of funds awarded
under the grant; and
``(D) provide such additional information and assurances as
the Attorney General determines to be necessary to ensure
compliance with the requirements of this section.
``(3) Preference.--In reviewing applications submitted in
accordance with paragraphs (1) and (2), the Attorney General
shall give preference to grant applications if--
``(A) the application includes a plan to use awarded funds
to engage in all activities described under paragraphs (1)
and (2) of subsection (b); or
``(B) the application includes a plan by the State or unit
of local government to continue funding of all activities
funded by the award after the expiration of the award.
``(d) Duration and Renewal of Award.--
``(1) In general.--A grant under this section shall expire
1 year after the date of award of the grant.
``(2) Renewal.--A grant under this section shall be
renewable not more than 3 times and for a period of not
greater than 1 year.
``(e) Evaluation.--The Attorney General shall enter into a
contract or other agreement with an academic or non-profit
organization that has experience in issues related to child
human trafficking and evaluation of grant programs to conduct
an annual evaluation of grants made under this section to
determine the impact and effectiveness of programs funded
with grants awarded under this section, and shall submit any
such evaluation to the Committee on the Judiciary of the
House of Representatives and the Committee on the Judiciary
of the Senate.
``(f) Oversight and Accountability.--An eligible entity
that receives a grant under this section is subject to the
requirements of section 10 of the Justice for Victims of
Trafficking Act of 2014.
``(g) Administrative Cap.--The cost of administering the
grants authorized by this section shall not exceed 5 percent
of the total amount appropriated to carry out this section.
``(h) Federal Share.--The Federal share of the cost of a
program funded by a grant awarded under this section may not
exceed--
``(1) 70 percent in the first year;
``(2) 60 percent in the second year; and
``(3) 50 percent in the third year.
``(i) Definitions.--In this section--
``(1) the term `child' means a person under the age of 18;
``(2) the term `child advocacy center' means a center
created under subtitle A of the Victims of Child Abuse Act of
1990 (42 U.S.C. 13001 et seq.);
``(3) the term `child human trafficking' means 1 or more
severe forms of trafficking in persons (as defined in section
103 of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (22
U.S.C. 7102)) involving a victim who is a child; and
``(4) the term `eligible entity' means a State or unit of
local government that--
``(A) has significant criminal activity involving child
human trafficking;
``(B) has demonstrated cooperation between Federal, State,
local, and, where applicable, tribal law enforcement
agencies, prosecutors, and social service providers in
addressing child human trafficking; and
``(C) has developed a workable, multi-disciplinary plan to
combat child human trafficking.''; and
(3) in subsection (j) (as so redesignated)--
(A) by striking ``Secretary of Health and Human Services''
and inserting ``Attorney General, in consultation with the
Secretary of Health and Human Services,''; and
(B) by striking ``fiscal years 2008 through 2011'' and
inserting ``fiscal years 2015 through 2019''.
SEC. 3. AMENDMENTS TO THE VICTIMS OF CHILD ABUSE ACT OF 1990.
The Victims of Child Abuse Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 13001 et
seq.) is amended--
(1) in section 212(5) (42 U.S.C. 13001a(5)), by inserting
``, including human trafficking and the production of child
pornography'' before the semicolon at the end; and
(2) in section 214 (42 U.S.C. 13002)--
(A) by redesignating subsections (b), (c), and (d) as
subsections (c), (d), and (e), respectively; and
(B) by inserting after subsection (a) the following:
``(b) Direct Services for Victims of Child Pornography.--
The Administrator, in coordination with the Director and with
the Director of the Office of Victims of Crime, may make
grants to develop and implement specialized programs to
identify and provide direct services to victims of child
pornography.''.
SEC. 4. STREAMLINING FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL HUMAN
TRAFFICKING INVESTIGATIONS.
Section 2516 of title 18, United States Code, is amended--
(1) in paragraph (1)(C)--
(A) by inserting before ``section 1591'' the following:
``section 1581 (peonage; obstructing enforcement), section
1584 (sale into involuntary servitude), section 1589 (forced
labor), section 1590 (trafficking with respect to peonage,
slavery, involuntary servitude, or forced labor),''; and
(B) by inserting before ``section 1751'' the following:
``section 1592 (unlawful conduct with respect to documents in
furtherance of trafficking, peonage, slavery, involuntary
servitude, or forced labor),''; and
(2) in paragraph (2), by inserting ``human trafficking,
offenses pertaining to child pornography, child sexual abuse,
coercion and enticement of children,'' after ``kidnapping,''.
SEC. 5. ENHANCING HUMAN TRAFFICKING REPORTING.
Section 3702 of the Crime Control Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C.
5780) is amended--
(1) in paragraph (2), by striking ``and'' at the end; and
(2) in paragraph (4)--
(A) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking
``paragraph (2)'' and inserting ``paragraph (3)'';
(B) in subparagraph (A), by inserting ``and a photograph
taken within the previous 180 days'' after ``dental
records'';
(C) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``and'' at the end;
(D) by redesignating subparagraph (C) as subparagraph (D);
and
(E) by inserting after subparagraph (B) the following:
``(C) notify the National Center for Missing and Exploited
Children of each report received relating to a child reported
missing from a foster care family home or childcare
institution; and''.
SEC. 6. REDUCING DEMAND FOR SEX TRAFFICKING.
Section 1591 of title 18, United States Code, is amended--
(1) in subsection (a)(1), by striking ``or maintains'' and
inserting ``maintains, patronizes, or solicits'';
(2) in subsection (b)--
(A) in paragraph (1), by striking ``or obtained'' and
inserting ``obtained, patronized, or solicited''; and
(B) in paragraph (2), by striking ``or obtained'' and
inserting ``obtained, patronized, or solicited''; and
(3) in subsection (c)--
(A) by striking ``or maintained'' and inserting ``,
maintained, patronized, or solicited''; and
(B) by striking ``knew that the person'' and inserting
``knew, or recklessly disregarded the fact, that the
person''.
SEC. 7. USING EXISTING TASK FORCES TO TARGET OFFENDERS WHO
EXPLOIT CHILDREN.
Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this
Act, the Attorney General shall ensure that all task forces
and working groups within the Violent Crimes Against Children
Program engage in activities, programs, or operations to
increase the investigative capabilities of State and local
law enforcement officers in the detection, investigation, and
prosecution of persons who patronize, or solicit children for
sex.
SEC. 8. HOLDING SEX TRAFFICKERS ACCOUNTABLE.
Section 2423(g) of title 18, United States Code, is amended
by striking ``a preponderance of the evidence'' and inserting
``clear and convincing evidence''.
SEC. 9. OVERSIGHT AND ACCOUNTABILITY.
(a) Audit Requirement.--In fiscal year 2015, and each
fiscal year thereafter, the Inspector General of the
Department of Justice shall conduct audits of covered
grantees to prevent waste, fraud, and abuse of such funds.
The Inspector General shall determine the appropriate number
of covered grantees to be audited each year.
(b) Mandatory Exclusion.--A covered grantee that is found
to have an unresolved audit finding shall not be eligible for
an allocation of grant funds from the covered grant program
from which it received a grant award during the first 2
fiscal years beginning after the end of the 12-month period
described in subsection (g)(3).
(c) Reimbursement.--If a covered grantee is awarded funds
under the covered grant program from which it received a
grant award during the 2-fiscal-year period during which the
covered grantee is ineligible for an allocation of grant
funds as a result of subsection (b), the Attorney General
shall--
(1) deposit an amount equal to the amount of the grant
funds that were improperly awarded to the covered grantee
into the General Fund of the Treasury; and
(2) seek to recoup the costs of the repayment to the Fund
from the covered grantee that was erroneously awarded grant
funds.
(d) Nonprofit Organization Requirements.--
(1) Definition.--For purposes of this section, the term
``nonprofit'', when used with respect to an organization,
means an organization that is described in section 501(c)(3)
of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and is exempt from
taxation under section 501(a) of such Code.
(2) Prohibition.--A nonprofit organization that holds money
in offshore accounts for the purpose of avoiding paying the
tax described in section 511(a) of the Internal Revenue Code
of 1986, shall not be eligible to receive, directly or
indirectly, any funds from a covered grant program.
(3) Disclosure.--Each nonprofit organization that is a
covered grantee shall disclose
[[Page H602]]
in its application for such a grant, as a condition of
receipt of such a grant, the compensation of its officers,
directors, and trustees. Such disclosure shall include a
description of the criteria relied upon to determine such
compensation.
(e) Conference Expenditures.--
(1) Limitation.--No amounts made available under a covered
grant program may be used to host or support a conference
that uses more than $20,000 in funds made available by the
Department of Justice unless the Deputy Attorney General or
the appropriate Assistant Attorney General, Director, or
principal deputy (as designated by the Deputy Attorney
General) provides prior written approval that the funds may
be expended to host or support such conference, except that a
conference that uses more than $20,000 in such funds, but
less than $500 in such funds for each attendee of the
conference, shall not be subject to the limitation under this
paragraph.
(2) Written approval.--Written approval under paragraph (1)
shall include a written estimate of all costs associated with
the conference, including the cost of all food, beverages,
audio-visual equipment, honoraria for speakers, and
entertainment.
(3) Report.--The Deputy Attorney General shall submit an
annual report to the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate
and the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of
Representatives on all conference expenditures approved under
this subsection.
(f) Prohibition on Lobbying Activity.--
(1) In general.--Amounts made available under a covered
grant program may not be used by any covered grantee to--
(A) lobby any representative of the Department of Justice
regarding the award of grant funding; or
(B) lobby any representative of the Federal Government or a
State, local, or tribal government regarding the award of
grant funding.
(2) Penalty.--If the Attorney General determines that a
covered grantee has violated paragraph (1), the Attorney
General shall--
(A) require the covered grantee to repay the grant in full;
and
(B) prohibit the covered grantee from receiving a grant
under the covered grant program from which it received a
grant award during at least the 5-year period beginning on
the date of such violation.
(g) Definitions.--In this section, the following
definitions apply:
(1) The term ``covered grant program'' means the following:
(A) The grant program under section 203 of the Trafficking
Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C.
14044b).
(B) The grant programs under section 214 and 214A of the
Victims of Child Abuse Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 13002, 13003).
(2) The term ``covered grantee'' means a recipient of a
grant from a covered grant program.
(3) The term ``unresolved audit finding'' means an audit
report finding in a final audit report of the Inspector
General of the Department of Justice that a covered grantee
has used grant funds awarded to that grantee under a covered
grant program for an unauthorized expenditure or otherwise
unallowable cost that is not closed or resolved during the
12-month period beginning on the date on which the final
audit report is issued.
SEC. 10. CRIME VICTIMS' RIGHTS.
(a) In General.--Section 3771 of title 18, United States
Code, is amended--
(1) in subsection (a), by adding at the end the following:
``(9) The right to be informed in a timely manner of any
plea agreement or deferred prosecution agreement.
``(10) The right to be informed of the rights under this
section and the services described in section 503(c) of the
Victims' Rights and Restitution Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C.
10607(c)) and provided contact information for the Office of
the Victims' Rights Ombudsman of the Department of
Justice.'';
(2) in subsection (d)(3), in the fifth sentence, by
inserting ``, unless the litigants, with the approval of the
court, have stipulated to a different time period for
consideration'' before the period; and
(3) in subsection (e)--
(A) by striking ``this chapter, the term'' and inserting
the following: ``this chapter:
``(1) Court of appeals.--The term `court of appeals'
means--
``(A) the United States court of appeals for the judicial
district in which a defendant is being prosecuted; or
``(B) for a prosecution in the Superior Court of the
District of Columbia, the District of Columbia Court of
Appeals.
``(2) Crime victim.--
``(A) In general.--The term'';
(B) by striking ``In the case'' and inserting the
following:
``(B) Minors and certain other victims.--In the case''; and
(C) by adding at the end the following:
``(3) District court; court.--The terms `district court'
and `court' include the Superior Court of the District of
Columbia.''.
(b) Appellate Review of Petitions Relating to Crime
Victims' Rights.--
(1) In general.--Section 3771(d)(3) of title 18, United
States Code, as amended by subsection (a)(2) of this section,
is amended by inserting after the fifth sentence the
following: ``In deciding such application, the court of
appeals shall apply ordinary standards of appellate
review.''.
(2) Application.--The amendment made by paragraph (1) shall
apply with respect to any petition for a writ of mandamus
filed under section 3771(d)(3) of title 18, United States
Code, that is pending on the date of enactment of this Act.
SEC. 11. SENSE OF CONGRESS.
It is the sense of Congress that--
(1) child human trafficking (as such term is defined in
section 203(i) of the Trafficking Victims Protection
Reauthorization Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 14044b), as added by
this Act) has no place in a civilized society, and that
persons who commit crimes relating to child human trafficking
should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law;
(2) the United States, as a leader in monitoring and
combating human trafficking throughout the world, must hold
all nations to the same standards to which we hold our
Nation;
(3) those who obtain, solicit, or patronize a victim of
trafficking for the purpose of engaging in a commercial sex
act with that person, are committing a human trafficking
offense under Federal law;
(4) the demand for commercial sex is a primary cause of the
human rights violation of human trafficking, and the
elimination of that human rights violation requires the
elimination of that demand;
(5) United States citizens or lawful permanent residents
who are victims of severe forms of trafficking are not
required to obtain an official certification from the
Secretary of Health and Human Services in order to access any
of the specialized services described in section 107 of the
Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 or any other
Federal benefits and protections to which they are otherwise
entitled; and
(6) as matters stand on the date of enactment of this Act,
there are insufficient services and programs for victims of
severe forms of human trafficking in the United States,
including United States citizens and lawful permanent
residents.
SEC. 12. CLARIFYING THE BENEFITS AND PROTECTIONS OFFERED TO
DOMESTIC VICTIMS OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING.
Section 107(b) of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of
2000 (22 U.S.C. 7105(b)) is amended--
(1) by redesignating subparagraph (F), as subparagraph (G);
(2) by redesignating subparagraph (G), as subparagraph (H);
and
(3) by inserting after subparagraph (E) the following:
``(F) No requirement of official certification for united
states citizens and lawful permanent residents.--Nothing in
this section may be construed to require United States
citizens or lawful permanent residents who are victims of
severe forms of trafficking to obtain an official
certification from the Secretary of Health and Human Services
in order to access any of the specialized services described
in this subsection or any other Federal benefits and
protections to which they are otherwise entitled.''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Texas (Mr. Poe) and the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Texas.
General Leave
Mr. POE of Texas. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all
Members might have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend
their remarks and include extraneous materials to H.R. 181, currently
under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Texas?
There was no objection.
Mr. POE of Texas. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Madam Speaker, as has been stated today, we are dealing with a very
important and critical issue in America. It seems, however, that the
Super Bowl is coming up this weekend.
The national media and Americans seem to be concerned more about the
disappearance of air in footballs than they are about the disappearance
of America's greatest resource: our children--children that are being
trafficked throughout the United States, bought and sold for sexual
assault.
It is not just an international crime; it is a crime here in America.
Unfortunately, my hometown of Houston, Texas, is one of the hubs for
trafficking because of its location.
We have today several bills, bills that passed yesterday and bills
that will come up today--and hopefully all will pass--that deal with
this scourge and slavery that is taking place in America.
I want to thank the chairman of the committee, Mr. Goodlatte from
Virginia; and also the chairman of the subcommittee, Mr. Sensenbrenner;
the ranking member, Sheila Jackson Lee; and also the former ranking
member, Bobby Scott, for their work on these types of legislation that
came up last year. Because the Senate didn't
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act on them, these bill are being brought up again.
The Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act, I am glad to be the
original sponsor, but I am also thankful that my friend, Carolyn
Maloney from New York, who has been working on trafficking issues long
before I was ever in Congress, is the original cosponsor on the
Democrat side.
Madam Speaker, you don't get much more bipartisan than a New York
liberal Democrat and a conservative Republican from Texas. We are just
separated by a common language. Other than that, we get along quite
well, especially on this issue.
When Brooke was 7, Madam Speaker, her mother was ill in the hospital.
Her care was then entrusted to a nanny; but protecting her was not what
the nanny had in mind. Instead of taking care of Brooke and making sure
that she was healthy and safe, the nanny sold her into sex slavery. She
was a trafficking victim. She was 7.
As is common with child trafficking victims, Brooke was also a victim
of child pornography. She was subjected to the most sadistic forms of
abuse. She was 7. All she wanted to do was be safe.
Stories like Brooke's and other survivors' make it clear that human
trafficking is quite serious. It is occurring with the most vulnerable
group of Americans: young children. I have four kids, three daughters.
I have 11 grandkids; seven of them are granddaughters. We all believe,
I think, the greatest resource of America is our youth, and their lives
and their souls are being stolen every day for money, for filthy lucre.
This crime happens in America, and it happens across the seas, and it
is all about money. I understand that the greatest criminal enterprise
for money is drug trafficking, but close behind is the sex slave
trafficking.
Why is sex slavery such a moneymaker? Well, unlike drugs that are
sold one time, children are sold numerous times. As our friend, Kristi
Noem, of South Dakota mentioned earlier, children sometimes are sold up
to 50 times a day, Madam Speaker.
Plus, the consequences for the criminals is not as great as the
consequences for drug smugglers, and the risk of apprehension is not as
great. This bill tries to deal with all three entities that are
involved in sex trafficking. There is the trafficker, the slave master;
there is the consumer, the child abuser; and then there is the child--
they are victims of crime, and the American social conscience needs to
change to understand these children are not criminals, and they are not
prostitutes. They are children that are victims of slavery. We need to
change that conscience, and we need to change it legally as well.
Now, in all fairness to police, many times, they see a child on the
street; they arrest the child for child prostitution and file a
juvenile crime case against that individual. Many times, they don't
have a place to take the child.
We have approximately 3,000 animal shelters in the United States. I
got one of my three Dalmatians from an animal shelter. We need those
animal shelters, but there are less than 300 beds for child sex
trafficking victims. Why is that? There is no answer, except we need to
deal with it.
Police don't have a place to take the rescued child, except they put
them in the criminal justice system, which is not a good thing. It
doesn't help the child at all recover, even though everybody knows that
the child is a victim. We need places to take children. We need to
treat those children like victims of crime.
That is what this bill does. It helps rescue and restores victims of
crime. On the other end, the slave master, well, it punishes them. As
Chairman Sensenbrenner said, life sentences are appropriate for some
people, and that is quite appropriate, at least a minimum sentence of
life, and that is what this bill does as well.
The bill also goes after the demand, the consumer. Those men--
primarily--are the child molesters. They are child abusers, and for too
long, society has kind of looked at that situation as, ``Oh, well, boys
will be boys.''
Madam Speaker, those days are over. The days of ``boys being boys''
is over in America, and this law will go after the consumer. We need to
know who they are. You talk about photographs on the Internet, their
photographs ought to be on the Internet after they are convicted, but
the law goes and punishes them as well.
{time} 1400
It gives law enforcement, child welfare, health care officials, and
others who will come in contact with victims training. It also
clarifies some State and Federal wiretap laws. It allows law
enforcement officials the flexibility to obtain warrants in all Federal
human trafficking investigations so that they are better able to follow
evidence and target criminal networks, because there are networks
throughout the country that are taking children and selling them every
night.
Madam Speaker, we will only be able to reduce the demand by putting
the demand behind bars, where they belong. Girls are not property; they
are little girls. And the same is true of boys who are being trafficked
in the United States as well.
The legislation here also strengthens and clarifies the Trafficking
Victims Protection Act by making it clear for judges, juries,
prosecutors, and law enforcement that criminals who purchase sex acts
from trafficked victims should be a priority and be prosecuted. That is
why we build prisons, for people like that--the demand and the
traffickers.
So I am encouraged by the tremendous support in the House on these 12
bills, bipartisan bills, coming up. And I do want to commend the ladies
of the House who have been the ones--on both sides of the aisle--
advocating and making sure that this legislation comes to the House
floor.
Passage of Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act will be a major
step toward ridding our country of modern-day slavery. Brooke and her
mother have worked through Brooke's issues after she was trafficked at
7. They are working together. She has been rescued and restored, and
she is an advocate for better legislation and protection of children
like she was when she was trafficked. But the message is, Madam
Speaker, our children are not for sale, period.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Madam Speaker, I am glad that the manager, Congressman Poe, set the
tone again for the vigorousness of the bipartisanship around what all
of us want, which is to, in essence, cut out the cancers of human
trafficking and sex trafficking.
Let me first of all congratulate Mr. Poe, Judge Poe, a Texan whose
language I can fully understand, as well as his partner, Congresswoman
Maloney. Over the years, she has championed the rights of women and the
empowerment of our children: what a great partnership, Judge Poe and
Congresswoman Maloney. I am delighted to join with them in my
commitment to fighting human trafficking and sex trafficking in
supporting H.R. 181, the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of
2014, marked up in the Judiciary Committee. Many amendments were
accepted, and so this bill has a holistic approach.
I am also glad that we did not run away from this issue in Houston,
as we convened a hearing that I called for with my colleagues,
Republicans and Democrats, to openly and forthrightly listen to law
enforcement, people who had been victimized, adults who are still
suffering from what had happened to them as a child. This hearing was
held in March. It was a field hearing, titled, ``Combating Human
Trafficking in Our Major Cities.'' It was a fitting venue because,
regrettably, Houston has been noted as a human trafficking hub in the
United States. But it was the important contributions of my colleagues,
many on the floor today, who added to the record to begin to craft or
to continue to work on important legislation such as the Justice for
Victims of Trafficking Act. I am glad that we are here again to move it
so it can ultimately be signed by the President of the United States.
At that hearing, we heard testimony from Federal, State, and local
law enforcement officials regarding an operation the day before in
which they discovered and rescued 115 from a packed, rancid stash house
in south Harris County. It was not completely vetted as to whether or
not all of the individuals in the stash house or some of the
[[Page H604]]
individuals or a few were victims of human trafficking or sex
trafficking. I would venture to say that their future would not be a
future worthy of promoting. Ninety-nine of those victims were men, 16
were women, one of whom was pregnant, and 19 others were juveniles. You
wonder what would happen to the juveniles.
I went to that stash house. It was a terrible scene. All of them had
been kidnapped and smuggled into the United States. And as previously
said, human trafficking, sex trafficking, is a great business for those
who are of that kind of vile mind because they can use them and use
them and use juveniles over and over again, some of whom, however, have
been driven to such low ends of the Earth, meaning the victims, that
their life is ruined. Some have probably been driven to suicide.
Trafficking of any human being, especially domestic child
trafficking, has no place in civilized society. The term ``slavery''
has often been used. And it is true that slavery exists around the
world. We need to ensure that State and local law enforcement agencies
have the tools, resources, and training necessary to identify,
apprehend, and prosecute criminals who ruthlessly traffic in children.
These children have suffered the worst imaginable trauma, and as a
result, they require and are deserving of comprehensive and tailored
services to assist in their recovery. We need to ensure that funding is
in place to provide for such comprehensive services. This bill is an
essential step toward combating the crisis of domestic minor sex
trafficking and helping survivors begin their lives anew. Throughout
this afternoon, we have said that they have to have an opportunity to
change their lives.
While the rescue of trafficking victims is necessary, so is the
prosecution of traffickers. While we habitually refer to those who
solicit commercial sex acts from minors as ``customers'' and ``johns,''
and I have said this before on the floor, the cold, hard fact is that
these people are nothing more than child rapists. We need to stop being
polite and call them what they are--child rapists. Let us not let them
hide behind polite names such as ``john,'' particularly when they prey
on our children.
Federal courts have interpreted the existing statute, title 18 U.S.C.
section 1591, to cover the acts of patronizing and soliciting.
Therefore, the specifications of the terms ``patronize'' and
``solicit'' in this bill simply clarify and emphasize the fact that
these actions are actually covered.
Those who patronize and solicit are already criminally liable under
the language contained in the original text of section 1591. Under this
legislation, a child rapist will no longer be able to find refuge in
any jurisdiction. This bill will also promote the coordination of
investigations among Federal, State, and local law enforcement and
enhance reporting data for missing children--everything that the
witnesses at the March 2014 hearing told us call for this.
Let me say that I am also grateful that this bill emphasizes the
local, State, and Federal collaboration. As a member of the Homeland
Security Committee, which is what the hearing was held under, under the
auspices of the Homeland Security Committee, we recognize that is part
of the threat to national security. The utilizing of our children, the
victimizing of our children, the co-opting of our children, the
soliciting of our children, and this bill gets right at the target.
Human trafficking is the second fastest growing criminal industry in
the world, generating over $32 billion annually. This bill is the most
comprehensive piece of legislation to deal with this problem over the
years, and it is a great foundation to continue to build, to weed out
every nuance, every person hiding behind the rock who is dealing in sex
trafficking and human trafficking.
For years, we have labeled child victims of sex trafficking as
prostitutes and juvenile delinquents rather than the victims that they
are. We have seen runaways and we have condemned them for being a
runaway, but we don't know the horrible stories and what they have
experienced. They are victims of criminal conduct, and we need to treat
them that way--not prostitutes, not juvenile delinquents.
This bill recognizes and treats victims as victims, provides for more
services and shelters for them, and provides resources to law
enforcement, child welfare, health care officials, and others who will
come into contact with them.
One of the early organizations, the Center for Missing and Exploited
Children, which I have associated with throughout my entire time in the
House of Representatives, early on raised the clarion call that we must
do something about these exploited and missing children. I know that
they are celebrating as we have been on the floor talking about human
trafficking and sex trafficking.
So, Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased that the Judiciary Committee saw
fit to adopt section 11 in H.R. 181, the Jackson Lee amendment, which
expresses a sense of Congress that human trafficking has no place in a
civilized society and that perpetrators of such vile acts should be
prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, and we can build on this
for finding those who may be thinking that they are squeezing outside
the law.
Mr. Speaker, as a global leader in combating global trafficking
throughout the world, the United States must hold all nations to the
same standards by which we hold ourselves. The demand for commercial
sex is a primary cause of the human rights violation of human
trafficking. Elimination of that violation requires elimination of that
demand. I am glad that we are here confronting it head-on, and I ask my
colleagues to support the underlying legislation.
Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 181, the ``Justice for
Victims of Trafficking Act of 2015.''
Madam Speaker, last year, on March 20, 2014, the Homeland Security
Committee, of which I am a member, held a field hearing titled,
``Combatting Human Trafficking in Our Major Cities,'' in my home city
of Houston. It was a fitting venue because, regrettably, Houston is a
human trafficking hub of the United States.
At that hearing my colleagues, Chairman McCaul, Judge Poe,
Congressman Al Green, Congressman Farenthold, and I heard testimony
from Federal, state and local law enforcement officials regarding an
operation the day before during which they discovered and rescued 115
people from a packed, rancid stash house in south Harris County. 99 of
those victims were men, 16 were women, one of whom was pregnant, and 19
were juveniles. All of them had been kidnapped and smuggled into the
United States.
Trafficking of any human being, especially domestic child
trafficking, has no place in civilized society. We need to ensure that
state and local law enforcement agencies have the tools, resources, and
training necessary to identify, apprehend, and prosecute criminals who
ruthlessly traffic in children.
These children have suffered the worst imaginable trauma, and as a
result, they require and are deserving of comprehensive and tailored
services to assist in their recovery. We need to ensure that funding is
in place to provide for such comprehensive services. This bill is an
essential step toward combatting the crisis of domestic minor sex
trafficking and helping survivors begin their lives anew.
While the rescue of trafficking victims is necessary, so is the
prosecution of traffickers. And while we habitually refer to those who
solicit commercial sex acts from minors as ``customers'' and ``johns,''
the cold, hard fact is that these people are nothing more than ``child
rapists.'' We need to stop being polite and call them what they are--
``child rapists''!
Federal courts have interpreted the existing statute, Title 18 United
States Code, section 1591, to cover the acts of patronizing and
soliciting. Therefore, the specifications of the terms ``patronizing''
and ``solicit'' in this bill simply clarify and emphasize the fact that
these actions are actually covered.
Those who patronize and solicit are already criminally liable under
the language contained in the original section 1591. Under this
legislation, child rapists will find no refuge in any jurisdiction.
This bill will also promote the coordination of investigations among
federal, state and local law enforcement and enhance reporting data for
missing children--everything that the witnesses at the March 2014
Houston field hearing called for.
Human Trafficking is the second fastest growing criminal industry in
the world, generating over $32 billion annually. This bill is the most
comprehensive piece of legislation to deal with that problem in years.
For years we have labeled child victims of sex trafficking as
prostitutes and juvenile delinquents rather than as the victims they
are. They are victims of criminal conduct, and we need to treat them
that way. This bill recognizes that and treats victims as victims,
provides for more services and shelters for them,
[[Page H605]]
and provides resources to law enforcement, child welfare, healthcare
officials and others who will come into contact with these victims.
Finally, Madam Speaker, I am very pleased that the Judiciary
Committee saw fit to adopt as Section 11 of H.R. 181 the Jackson Lee
Amendment which expresses the Sense of Congress that human trafficking
has no place in a civilized society and that perpetrators of such vile
acts should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
Madam Speaker, as the global leader in combatting human trafficking
throughout the world, the United States must hold all nations to the
same standards to which we hold ourselves. The demand for commercial
sex is a primary cause of the human right violation of human
trafficking. Elimination of that violation requires the elimination of
that demand.
I received yet more tragic illustration of the global horrors of
human trafficking as recently as last evening during a meeting with the
Prime Minister of Jamaica. Last year Jamaica improved its position in
the U.S. State Department's Annual Trafficking in Persons (``TIP'')
Report after it passed amendments to its Trafficking in Persons Act.
Those amendments stipulated harsher penalties for offenders with
penalties of up to 30 years.
Despite this new legislation, Jamaican children subjected to sex
trafficking in the country's sex trade remains a serious problem with
reports of sex trafficking of children and adults occurring on streets
and in night clubs, bars, and private homes. The Jamaican government
realizes that it must move more vigorously to not only prosecute,
convict and punish trafficking offenders, but to also identify, and
assist more victims.
Madam Speaker, while it is entirely proper for the United States to
hold all nations to the same standard to which we hold ourselves, it is
also entirely proper for the United States to lend assistance to those
nations that may lack the resources needed to effectively combat Human
Trafficking. I hope that we will give consideration to providing such
assistance in future anti-human trafficking legislation.
Finally, Madam Speaker, I must also thank Representative Poe and his
staff as well as Committee staff on both sides of the aisle for working
together to address a point raised by an amendment that Rep. Poe
offered and withdrew during the bill's markup. The changes that were
made to the bill as a result of that collaborative work yielded some
real improvements to the bill.
For these reasons I support H.R. 181 and encourage my colleagues to
do likewise.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman
from Virginia (Mr. Goodlatte), the chairman of the Judiciary Committee,
who has made it a priority to stop, to combat the scourge of human
trafficking by bringing numerous bills before the Judiciary Committee.
Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, I first want to thank the gentleman from
Texas (Mr. Poe) for his long dedication to addressing this very serious
problem and for yielding me this time.
Few nightmares equal the terrible reality that thousands of American
children awake to each day. Held against their will, before the day is
out, they will be forced to share perhaps a dozen strangers' beds and
be subjected to arbitrary violence for any real or imagined infraction.
Child sex trafficking is one of the fastest growing criminal
enterprises in our country, and we must update our laws to combat it.
H.R. 181, the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of 2015, is a
targeted effort to deploy our law enforcement and social resources
against the worst offenders: those who sexually exploit children and
other vulnerable victims.
Rather than simply increasing penalties, the Justice for Victims of
Trafficking Act directly aids the survivors of this crime. The bill
creates a comprehensive, victim-centered grant program to train law
enforcement, rescue exploited children, prosecute traffickers, and
restore the lives of victims. The bill also streamlines existing law
enforcement tools by providing that child advocacy centers can and
should use their resources to help victims of trafficking and other
types of child exploitation.
H.R. 181 clarifies that State prosecutors may obtain wiretaps,
pursuant to a showing of probable cause, for trafficking and other
child sex crimes. Additionally, the bill adds several of the Federal
antislavery statutes as Federal wiretap predicates--something that
should have been done a long time ago.
These important tools simply give police the same investigatory tools
they would have if these criminal gangs sold drugs or stolen property
instead of sex with children and other victims.
The bill makes the law clear that the men who purchase these
children's innocence will be held to the same standard as those who
make it available for sale, and hold sex traffickers accountable by
increasing the standard for claiming an affirmative defense by
requiring defendants to show by clear and convincing evidence that they
believed the victim to be 18 years of age or older.
We in Congress have no higher duty than to protect the innocent
children of this Nation. The Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act,
introduced by my friend and colleague Judge Poe, is a critical step
toward banishing human trafficking to where it belongs--the realm of
nightmares.
Please join me in supporting this bill.
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentlewoman
from New York (Mrs. Carolyn B. Maloney), who, as I indicated, has
worked unceasingly on empowering the most vulnerable, particularly in
her work on empowering women, vulnerable women around the world,
providing them rights, and, of course, the work she has done in
collaboration with Congressman Poe and our committee in her work on
this bill.
Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I thank my good
friend and colleague for her leadership and for yielding to me.
I want to commend the Republican and Democratic leadership for
bringing to the floor a large number of bipartisan bills to address the
problem of human trafficking. I particularly want to thank Judge Poe
for his enlightened leadership. He has brought an informed,
intelligent, effective focus on this crime, and he has brought new
momentum that is helping this country address this issue.
{time} 1415
I thank the bipartisan Women's Caucus that has made this goal, this
common goal of attacking the exploitation of children as a joint
priority for our caucus and for this Congress.
It is an important way to mark Human Trafficking Awareness Week, and
this modern-day form of slavery happens all across the world. We don't
like to admit it, but it is happening right here in America. It is
happening in our small cities, our big cities, every State, every race,
creed, and color.
There are no reliable estimates, but by some accounts, there are as
many as 2 million minors trafficked within the U.S. alone. When they
have missing children reports, many of the parents believe their
children have been stolen into sex trafficking. Most of these child
victims who are sex-trafficked are United States citizens or are here
legally in the United States.
Human trafficking, as my colleague pointed out, is the fastest
growing crime and the third largest criminal activity in the world, but
unlike drugs and guns that are sold only once, human lives can be sold
repeatedly over and over and over again until their lives are shattered
and destroyed. It destroys lives and comes with a huge social and
economic cost.
We can all agree that no child should be for sale in America--not
now, not ever. Our children should not be for sale, but they are for
sale under the guise of human traffickers and pimps.
I am very pleased to work shoulder to shoulder with Congressman Poe
on the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act. As a former judge and a
former prosecutor, he knows firsthand how damaging this crime is to the
lives of our young people--and it involves young boys, too--and how
difficult it is to get a conviction. His knowledge in this area is
tremendously appreciated, and his knowledge is in this bill. I thank
him for having been the key author on it and for his passion and hard
work on it.
This bill directly and specifically supports law enforcement training
and prosecution of sex trafficking crimes, and it creates a domestic
trafficking victims fund within the Treasury Department to support
critically needed services for victims.
We know there are not enough beds; there is no treatment. Many
trafficked women tell me they get saved, but then they are put in a
park with no place to go, and the traffickers come up and try to get
them back into it.
It goes after those who are trying to exploit children and vulnerable
women,
[[Page H606]]
those who would profit off the misery of others by going after their
wallets. It targets the demand side: the child abusers, the child
molesters.
Our victims fund will be financed through fines levied on those
convicted of child pornography, human trafficking, child prostitution,
sexual exploitation, and human smuggling offenses.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Huizenga of Michigan). The time of the
gentlewoman has expired.
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 1 minute to the
gentlelady.
Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. The bill also makes it clear
that it is not the victim who is sold and exploited who is the
criminal. The criminal is the john, the child abuser who solicits a
minor or a trafficker who puts a woman or man out on the street to be
bought and sold.
Human trafficking is harmful not only to the victims, but to society
at large. Last May, this House passed this bill in total agreement, and
I urge the Senate to follow it and pass it also. It is time to help the
survivors get the resources they need to rebuild their lives and to
punish the evildoers who purchase and sell these innocent children.
Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman
from North Carolina (Mr. Pittenger).
Mr. PITTENGER. Mr. Speaker, I thank Judge Poe for his great
leadership in this very important area. It is so encouraging to see the
bipartisan commitment. Thank you, Congresswoman Lee and Congresswoman
Maloney, for your strong support.
When I came to Congress, it was my perception that human trafficking
was a concern found in other parts of the world, certainly not in North
Carolina. After talking to our law enforcement, I found out that North
Carolina was within the top 10 States for human trafficking.
As such, I realized that we needed to take care of our own in our own
region and hosted a meeting for public officials, church leaders at the
Billy Graham Center. We brought in wonderful organizations, Compassion
to Act, Justice & Mercy, Neet's Sweets, and others who have been there
on behalf of these women.
There are so many important ways that we can provide safety,
security, a safe haven for these precious young girls that have been
brought into slavery.
Human trafficking is one of the most tragic issues plaguing our world
today. Nearly 21 million human beings are living in modern-day slavery,
including domestic servitude, forced labor, and sex work. As a nation,
we have both a moral and a constitutional obligation to protect the
most vulnerable in our society from this horrific exploitation.
I therefore urge all my colleagues today to join in supporting the
Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of 2015 presented by Congressman
Poe. We need to ensure that we can provide to these young, domestic
human trafficking victims the support that they need.
This week, yes, we in the House will devote ourselves to raising
awareness of this heinous crime and passing legislation to take
significant steps toward the eradication of trafficking, both
domestically and abroad.
However, even as Human Trafficking Awareness Month draws to a close,
our dedication must not waver. I thank the chairman for his leadership,
and I thank my colleagues for their support.
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I will close. I yield myself such time
as I may consume.
The previous speaker indicated that we are in the national month
acknowledging and recognizing the gravity of human trafficking, and I
believe that it calls upon us to stand by the most vulnerable who
really can't help themselves.
My last comment before yielding was the demand for commercial sex is
a primary cause of the human rights violation of human trafficking, so
eliminating that violation requires the elimination of the demand.
What I might not have added, which a number of Members have said, is
the violence that goes along with sex trafficking and human
trafficking, the violence that goes along when some entity--a person
called a pimp, which is an old-time term, really becomes an abuser, a
violent abuser and abuses the frail, small body of a little girl or boy
because they really haven't risen to the occasion, provided them with
their daily infusion of dollars to continue to do their dastardly work.
As I have heard mentioned on this floor, we are not alone here in the
United States. For those of us who met the victims of sex trafficking
and human trafficking around the world, we understand that America's
standards will help others.
What is good about what we are doing today and the underlying bill is
that we set a standard that the world can look at, that we are not
going to tolerate or be sufferers of the abuse of little children.
Yesterday, as I listened to a great success story spoken about by the
Prime Minister of Jamaica, relating their economic success, she was
willing to talk about Jamaica's concerted effort at fighting human
trafficking.
An island where it might be easy for that trafficker to move from one
place to the next, here was a leader of government acknowledging the
scourge of human trafficking and that Jamaican children were suffering
and subjected to sex trafficking and that it remains a serious problem,
but we are going to fight it.
I felt very good about that because you would think that an island
that is very much dependent on tourism and entertainment would not have
that calling and that cause; but, yes, the fight is spreading.
I believe the Jamaican Government should be congratulated, and I ask
other governments to take heed of the underlying legislation, rise to
the standard, be part of the total elimination of cutting into the
lives of children, of little boys, of little girls, of cutting them off
from any kind of aspirations and hope that they could ever have.
Maybe we don't necessarily connect it, but we know the story of the
three women that were held for a period of time in our own Nation. Some
started out as children. When they were ultimately found, they were
women. One cannot help note that the violence that they described was a
vile sex trafficking, human trafficking episode. We don't know how many
around the Nation that are today, as we stand on the floor of the
House, suffering.
I thank Representative Poe. I thank my colleague Representative
Maloney and committee staff on both sides of the aisle to help address
this issue, and as well, I am glad that this particular legislation
will set a standard that this dastardly series of acts will not be
suffered by any human being not only in this Nation, but around the
world.
With that, I ask support for H.R. 181 and yield back the balance of
my time.
Mr. POE of Texas. May I inquire of the Chair as to how much time is
left on this side?
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Rodney Davis of Illinois). The gentleman
has 5\1/2\ minutes remaining.
Mr. POE of Texas. I yield myself the balance of the time.
Mr. Speaker, there were a lot of different entities involved in
bringing this and other pieces of legislation to the House floor.
There are numerous organizations throughout the United States, small
and large, that are determined to stop human trafficking, and I want to
thank all of them for their input into this cause and this legislation.
I call them the victims' posse. They have rounded up and made sure that
we are going to deal with this important issue.
I also want to thank the Members of the House who are cosponsors of
this bill, especially Carolyn Maloney, my friend from New York, and her
tenacious work on this and other pieces of legislation.
I also thank the Members of the House because many times, when they
go back home on this specific issue, as mentioned by my friend Ms.
Jackson Lee from Texas, they are holding public forums and hearings
about this crime of human trafficking. In fact, there is another one in
my district this weekend in Houston.
I want to commend the Members for bringing public awareness to this
horrible situation; but not all is gloom, doom, and despair, Mr.
Speaker, because of this legislation and other pieces of legislation,
but more importantly, the moral will of the House and I think of
America is to get a grip on this slavery.
[[Page H607]]
When a crime like this is committed against a person, especially a
child, we call it sexual assault, but it is really rape. It is rape,
Mr. Speaker, of children. A rapist commits that crime to try to destroy
that person, destroy their identity, destroy their self-worth, to steal
their soul. That is what rapists do.
That is why we are going to solve this case or solve these cases as
best we can, by preventing them from occurring, by going after those
rapists, going after the trafficker, and rescuing the most precious
thing we have in our country, which is our children. We are not going
to allow the situation where America's children are bartered and sold
on the marketplace for sexual assault. Those days are going to be over.
I appreciate all those who have brought this bill to the floor, both
sides, and I ask that the House of Representatives vote unanimously on
this legislation.
And that is just the way it is.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
{time} 1430
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is will the House suspend the
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 181, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
____________________