[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 170 (Tuesday, November 29, 2016)]
[House]
[Pages H6329-H6332]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
FUNDING FOR THE NATIONAL HUMAN TRAFFICKING HOTLINE
Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 5422) to ensure funding for the National Human Trafficking
Hotline, and for other purposes.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 5422
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. FUNDING FOR THE NATIONAL HUMAN TRAFFICKING
HOTLINE; PERFECTING AMENDMENT.
(a) HHS Funding for Trafficking Hotline.--Section
107(b)(1)(B)(ii) of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of
2000 (22
[[Page H6330]]
U.S.C. 7105(b)(1)(B)(ii)) is amended by striking ``of amounts
made available for grants under paragraph (2),''.
(b) Perfecting Amendment.--Section 603 of the Justice for
Victims of Trafficking Act of 2015 (Public Law 114-22; 129
Stat. 259) is amended, in the matter preceding paragraph (1),
by striking ``Victims of Crime Trafficking'' and inserting
``Victims of Trafficking''.
(c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this Act shall
take effect as if enacted as part of the Justice for Victims
of Trafficking Act of 2015 (Public Law 114-22; 129 Stat.
227).
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Virginia (Mr. Goodlatte) and the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson
Lee) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Virginia.
General Leave
Mr. GOODLATTE. 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 materials on H.R. 5422, currently under
consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Virginia?
There was no objection.
Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, today we consider on suspension H.R. 5422. This bill
corrects an inadvertent change made in the Justice for Victims of
Trafficking Act of 2015 that caused grant funding for the National
Human Trafficking Hotline to be processed through the Department of
Justice rather than through the Department of Health and Human
Services, as it had been historically.
The National Human Trafficking Hotline is a toll-free hotline,
available to answer calls from anywhere in the United States, 24 hours
a day, 7 days a week, in more than 200 languages. The hotline's mission
is to connect trafficking victims and survivors to critical support
services and to equip the antitrafficking community with the tools to
effectively combat all forms of human trafficking.
This bill was introduced on June 9, 2015, by Congressman Ted Poe, a
tireless advocate for the prevention of human trafficking and for
trafficking victims, and the bill passed out of the Judiciary Committee
on November 16 by a voice vote.
While Congressman Poe is undergoing treatment for leukemia and is
unable to be here, I want to once again let him know that he is in our
prayers. We are confident in his recovery and continue to appreciate
all his work on these important human trafficking matters. I thank
Congressman Poe for sponsoring this legislation that corrects an
inadvertent drafting oversight, and I urge my colleagues to support the
bill.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 5422, a bill that I
have cosponsored in order to ensure funding for the National Human
Trafficking Hotline, a crucial component in the fight against human
trafficking, and also to pay tribute to my neighbor, Congressman Ted
Poe, and join in wishing him a strong recovery. We look forward to
continuing to work against the scourge of human trafficking. We have
been told, of course, of Houston being the epicenter of such.
As I have said many times before, trafficking in human beings has no
place in a civilized society. Congress decided 150 years ago that no
individual deserves to be bought, owned, or sold. Our country is now
faced with a modern-day version of slavery that denies victims of their
humanity and violates the most basic American ideals of liberty and
individual autonomy.
Human trafficking is the second fastest growing criminal enterprise:
4,177 sex trafficking cases and 824 trafficking cases were reported in
the first 9 months of this year in the United States and its
territories. Traffickers use trickery and, most often, coercion and
violence to force victims to provide labor or perform sexual acts.
My home city of Houston has been identified as a hub for human
trafficking, as I have said. I am proud to say that Houston and the
entire State of Texas are working hard to stave off this growing
threat.
In an effort to understand the problem and find real solutions, we
held several hearings in 2014, including the first-ever field hearing
on human trafficking held by the Committee on Homeland Security that I
serve on. During that hearing, we heard from victims and survivors of
human trafficking. They recounted indignities they suffered as well as
the physical and psychological damage done while they were young
children but still felt as adults. I am very gratified that Congressman
Ted Poe participated in that hearing, and it was very constructive and
instructive as we try to continue working on a solution.
I traveled to a stash house and witnessed the atrocious conditions
under which these people are held and forced to engage.
We now know that a comprehensive, collaborative approach that
includes lawmakers, law enforcement, victim advocates, community
organizations, and social service providers is necessary to identify
victims and lead them to safety, restore them, and bring their captors
to justice.
{time} 1600
The National Human Trafficking Resource Center plays a critical role
in the effort to save, protect, and restore victims of human
trafficking. The NHTRC is a national anti-trafficking hotline and
resource center created and overseen by the Department of Health and
Human Services and funded through grant money appropriated to HHS. It
is very important.
In 2015, the NHTRC received more than 24,000 signals regarding human
trafficking cases or issues related to human trafficking, which
includes phone calls, online tips, and emails.
The NHTRC is invaluable to victims, survivors, and stakeholders
involving the fight against human trafficking--connecting human
trafficking victims and survivors to local, victim-centered support
services that provide crisis intervention, urgent or nonurgent care, or
lead them to safety; providing tools to fight against human
trafficking; and reporting potential trafficking tips to law
enforcement. This is a very valuable service and lifeline.
I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Bass), who has a long history of
working with children, of arguing and advocating against the
mistreatment of foster care children who find themselves
disproportionately involved and subjected to the potential of human
trafficking. I thank her for her leadership, for being a cosponsor of
this legislation, and a Member of the House Judiciary Committee.
Ms. BASS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the National Human
Trafficking Hotline.
I also want to join with my colleagues in wishing well Judge Poe, and
wishing him a speedy recovery. He has been a leader on this issue for
many, many years, and the hotline is a critical feature of how we can
address human trafficking in our country.
I also support the resources being managed under Health and Human
Services. I believe it reflects the current awareness and knowledge
that this really shouldn't be managed by law enforcement. We have all
heard the stories of women and children who have been taken from
location to location and forced to have sex against their will.
Currently, there are more cases of human trafficking reported in
California than in any other State. This hotline has served as a
lifeline/vital resource to human trafficking victims and their
advocates. In California alone this year, there have been over 3,000
calls received on the hotline, resulting in over 1,000 human
trafficking cases being reported, nearly a third of which are minors.
Unfortunately, there is a growing body of evidence that youth who
fall through the cracks in the foster care system end up trafficked. As
of 2012 in California, 50 to 80 percent of the commercially exploited
children had been involved in the child welfare system. Fifty-eight
percent of sexually trafficked girls in the Los Angeles County STAR
Court in 2012 were under age and were connected to the foster care
system. In Los Angeles, we are fortunate
[[Page H6331]]
to have a STAR Court, but the purpose of this court is to deal with
underage children who have been trafficked.
I recently hosted an event in my district in order to train faith
leaders in my community to identify and direct resources to women and
girls who had been victims of trafficking. Often, it is members of our
communities who are the first line of defense for these girls.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Neugebauer). The time of the gentlewoman
has expired.
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I yield the gentlewoman from California
an additional 1 minute.
Ms. BASS. Mr. Speaker, we must work to break the foster-care-to-
child-sex-trafficking-victim pipeline by continuing to fund additional
programs, like the National Human Trafficking Hotline, to help identify
victims and provide them with the resources that they need.
Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my
time.
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Let me give my closing remarks and indicate that I am grateful in
determining that the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act, which,
unfortunately, was enacted last year, mistakenly directed that funding
for the NHTRC be given to the Justice Department instead of HHS, which
would still be responsible for administering it. Therefore, we need to
change the law to ensure that funding be directed to HHS so that it
will continue to fund and oversee NHTRC in the same manner and
efficiently as it has in the past. For that reason, this is an
important initiative.
I commend again the actions and efforts and commitment of my
colleague, Congressman Ted Poe. I wish him good health and thank him
for continuing to work on behalf of human trafficking victims.
This bill is evidence that we have the ability to work together as a
unified body to address issues that affect our country and, more
importantly, that those victims of this dastardly human trafficking,
when they feel so alone and cannot reach out, have a body of Members,
House and Senate, who recognize the urgency and importance of this
effort to help them restore their lives, but, more importantly, to
stand in the way of this terrible and heinous act.
I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5422, a bill I have
cosponsored in order to ensure funding for the National Human
Trafficking Hotline, a crucial component in the fight against human
trafficking.
As I have said many times before, trafficking in human beings has no
place in a civilized society.
Congress decided 150 years ago that no individual deserves to be
bought, owned, or sold.
Our country is now faced with a modern-day version of slavery that
denies victims of their humanity and violates the most basic American
ideals of liberty and individual autonomy.
Human trafficking is the second-fastest growing criminal enterprise.
4,177 sex trafficking cases and 824 labor trafficking cases were
reported in the first nine months of this year in the United States and
its territories.
Traffickers use trickery and, most often, coercion and violence to
force victims to provide labor or perform sexual acts.
My home city of Houston has been identified as a hub for human
trafficking. I am proud to say that Houston and the entire state of
Texas are working hard to stave off this growing threat.
In an effort to understand the problem and find real solutions, we
held several hearings in 2014, including a Field Hearing before the
Committee on Homeland Security.
During that hearing, we heard from victims and survivors of human
trafficking. They recounted indignities they suffered as well as the
physical and psychological damage done while they were young children,
but still felt as adults.
I traveled to a stash house and witnessed the atrocious conditions
under which these people are held.
We now know that a comprehensive, collaborative approach that
includes law makers, law enforcement, victim advocates, community
organizations, and social service providers is necessary to identify
victims, lead them to safety, restore them, and bring their captors to
justice.
The National Human Trafficking Resource Center plays a critical role
in the effort to save, protect, and restore victims of human
trafficking.
The NHTRC is a national anti-trafficking hotline and resource center,
created and overseen by the Department of Health and Human Services,
and funded through grant money appropriated to HHS.
In 2015, the NHTRC received more than 24,000 alerts regarding human
trafficking cases or issues related to human trafficking, which
includes phone calls, online tips, and emails.
The NHTRC is invaluable to victims, survivors, and stakeholders
involved in the fight against human trafficking--connecting human
trafficking victims and survivors to local, victim-centered support
services that provide crisis intervention, urgent or non-urgent care,
or lead them to safety; providing tools to fight against human
trafficking; and reporting potential trafficking tips to law
enforcement.
Unfortunately, the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act, which was
enacted last year, mistakenly directed that funding for the NHTRC be
given to the Justice Department instead of HHS, which would still be
responsible for administering it.
Therefore, we need to change the law to ensure that funding be
directed to HHS so that it will continue to fund and oversee the NHRTC
in the same, efficient manner as it has in the past.
Mr. Speaker, I commend the efforts of my colleague, Congressman Ted
Poe. I wish him good health and thank him for continuing to work on
behalf of human trafficking victims.
This bill is evidence that we have the ability to work together as a
unified body to address issues that affect our country.
I ask that my colleagues join me in supporting this bill today.
Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Let's pass this legislation in honor of Congressman and former Judge
Ted Poe, who has been a champion in the battle against human
trafficking. I urge my colleagues to support the bill.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, Laura was a middle school counselor
who noticed that one of her students had begun to act strangely.
Laura's instincts were right. Out of the classroom, her student,
Alyssa, had started to frequently flee her foster home and was often
found in random locations with adult strangers. After some
investigation, Laura learned that Alyssa had been lured into the
business of having sex with adults. Traffickers did what they do best,
identified a vulnerable young woman and lured her into the sex trade.
Laura immediately contacted the National Human Trafficking Hotline,
reported what had happened to her young student and they were able to
advise her on how to proceed and what social services and law
enforcement agencies to contact. Because of the hotline, Laura was able
to save Alyssa's life.
The National Human Trafficking Hotline serves as an essential
lifeline to victims of trafficking, but it also serves as an important
source of information to those who suspect they have encountered a
victim of trafficking and don't know how to help. This hotline is an
essential tool in the fight against human trafficking in the United
States.
H.R. 5422 is a bipartisan, non-controversial bill that makes a small
technical fix to allow the Department of Health and Human Services
(HHS) to continue funding the National Human Trafficking Hotline
(NHTH). In the House, I introduced this bill with Representative
Carolyn Maloney. I would also like to thank Senator John Cornyn and
Senator Amy Klobuchar for sponsoring this bill in the Senate.
Without the National Hotline's guidance, Laura may never have known
how to help that poor child escape her traffickers. The hotline
provides trafficking victims and survivors with access to critical
support and emergency services, collects tips about potential
trafficking situations and disseminates training and informational
materials to help raise awareness in our communities. HHS created and
currently oversees and funds the NHTH. As it stands today, the funding
for HHS's annual grants has been appropriated to the Department of
Justice. This bill is a simple technical fix to codify the hotline
within HHS and to help continue the important work being done by our
nation's anti-human trafficking hotline.
Having the hotline under the jurisdiction of DOJ creates an
unnecessary and unhelpful additional layer of bureaucracy. It forces
HHS to be dependent on funds from DOJ to run the hotline. It is more
efficient and effective for HHS to continue using its own finds to
operate the NHTH.
I urge the House to pass this simple bipartisan measure to ensure the
continued ease of funding to the National Human Trafficking Hotline
through the Department of Health and Human Services.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by
[[Page H6332]]
the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Goodlatte) that the House suspend the
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 5422.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. GOODLATTE. 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.
____________________