[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 7 (Thursday, January 11, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Page S145]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                National Human Trafficking Awareness Day

  Mr. DAINES. Mr. President, today is National Human Trafficking 
Awareness Day. Montana, like much of the United States, is suffering 
from the rise in human trafficking. I am grateful that Montana's 
attorney general, Tim Fox, has taken this issue head-on. In fact, 
Montana has had three times as many human trafficking cases in 2017 as 
we had in 2015--a threefold increase. Unfortunately, this number will 
likely continue to rise in the coming years, and online platforms are a 
driving force for it. Like so many things, the internet has tremendous 
power for good as well as for evil.
  Having spent 12 years building a startup cloud computing business in 
my hometown of Bozeman--a business we grew to over 1,000 employees. We 
took the company public. This became a large, global business. I 
understand the power of the internet for good. But I also believe we 
must and can have better safeguards to protect our children, our 
families, and our neighbors from sex trafficking, while at the same 
time protecting innovation on the internet.
  Unfortunately, a startup business--your business--has the potential 
to be used for terrible reasons without your awareness. Even more 
upsetting, it is also possible that online platforms do know that bad 
actors are using that platform and they do nothing about it. During my 
first hearing on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs 
Committee, we investigated one of these platforms: backpage.com.
  Bad actors like backpage.com must be held accountable. That is why 
today, on Human Trafficking Awareness Day, I will be joining the Stop 
Enabling Sex Traffickers Act. This act strips protections for platforms 
that knowingly assist, support, or facilitate sex trafficking. We must 
take steps now to stop human trafficking and protect vulnerable members 
of our community. The Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act moves us closer 
to that goal.
  I tip my hat and I am thankful to Senator Portman for introducing 
this bill. I am thankful for the work of the Senate Commerce Committee 
to ensure that this legislation protects the millions of companies on 
the internet that are building our economy and creating high-paying 
jobs and doing so in good faith.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to be added as a cosponsor for 
S. 1693, the Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. DAINES. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. MORAN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Sullivan). Without objection, it is so 
ordered.
  Mr. MORAN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to address the 
Senate as in morning business.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.