[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 8 (Thursday, January 12, 2017)]
[House]
[Page H452]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   HUMAN TRAFFICKING AWARENESS MONTH

  (Mr. LaMALFA asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. LaMALFA. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize National Human 
Trafficking Awareness Month.
  In my home State of California, human trafficking is a notoriously 
large and dangerous industry, with over 300 reported cases of 
trafficking that involved children, teens, and young adults last year, 
including the very mysterious case that happened in November, that of 
Sherri Papini from Shasta County, who may or may not have been drawn 
into this. Fortunately, she was released on Thanksgiving Day. Indeed, 
the whole State is thankful for her release and that she didn't get 
caught in that horrible system.
  We must do more to stop this human trafficking. That is why I am a 
proud supporter of H.R. 440, the SHAME Act, which was introduced by my 
colleague, Mr. Poe of Texas. The bill makes public the names and 
pictures of criminals who have been convicted of buying sex from a 
minor or from a sex trafficking victim--stripping their anonymity and 
sentencing them to the public humiliation they deserve for their 
despicable acts.
  I believe the SHAME Act will help to discourage participation in 
further human trafficking and will lead to a safer environment for our 
children in America. We must combat this now--indeed, a very dangerous 
and immoral problem.

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