[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 19 (Monday, January 29, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Pages S552-S553]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SENATE RESOLUTION 385--SUPPORTING THE OBSERVATION OF ``NATIONAL
TRAFFICKING AND MODERN SLAVERY PREVENTION MONTH'' DURING THE PERIOD
BEGINNING ON JANUARY 1, 2018, AND ENDING ON FEBRUARY 1, 2018, TO RAISE
AWARENESS OF, AND OPPOSITION TO, HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND MODERN SLAVERY
Mrs. FEINSTEIN (for herself, Mr. Grassley, Mr. Leahy, Mr. Cornyn, Ms.
Klobuchar, Mr. Isakson, Mr. Markey, Mr. Toomey, Ms. Heitkamp, Mr.
Rubio, and Mrs. Shaheen) submitted the following resolution; which was
referred to the Committee on the Judiciary:
S. Res. 385
Whereas the United States abolished the transatlantic slave
trade in 1808 and abolished chattel slavery and prohibited
involuntary servitude in 1865;
[[Page S553]]
Whereas, because the people of the United States remain
committed to protecting individual freedom, there is a
national imperative to eliminate human trafficking and modern
slavery, which is commonly considered to mean--
(1) the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision,
or obtaining of an individual through the use of force,
fraud, or coercion for the purpose of subjecting that
individual to involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage,
or slavery; or
(2) the inducement of a commercial sex act by force, fraud,
or coercion, or in which the individual induced to perform
that act is younger than 18 years of age;
Whereas the Department of Justice has reported that human
trafficking and modern slavery has been reported and
investigated in each of the 50 States and the District of
Columbia;
Whereas, to help businesses in the United States combat
child labor and forced labor in global supply chains, the
Department of Labor has identified 139 goods from 75
countries that are made by child labor and forced labor;
Whereas the Department of State has reported that the top 3
countries of origin of Federally identified trafficking
victims in 2016 were the United States, Mexico, and the
Philippines;
Whereas, to combat human trafficking and modern slavery in
the United States and globally, the people of the United
States, the Federal Government, and State and local
governments must be--
(1) aware of the realities of human trafficking and modern
slavery; and
(2) dedicated to stopping the horrific enterprise of human
trafficking and modern slavery;
Whereas the United States should hold accountable all
individuals, groups, organizations, and countries that
support, advance, or commit acts of human trafficking and
modern slavery;
Whereas, through education, the United States must also
work to end human trafficking and modern slavery in all forms
in the United States and around the world;
Whereas victims of human trafficking and modern slavery
should receive the necessary resources and social services to
escape, and recover from, the physical, mental, emotional,
and spiritual trauma associated with their victimization;
Whereas human traffickers use many physical and
psychological techniques to control a victim, including--
(1) the use of violence or threats of violence against the
victim or the family of the victim;
(2) isolation of the victim from the public;
(3) isolation of the victim from the family and religious
or ethnic community of the victim;
(4) exploitation of language and cultural barriers;
(5) shame;
(6) control of the possessions of the victim;
(7) confiscation of the passport and other identification
documents of the victim; and
(8) threats of arrest, deportation, or imprisonment if the
victim attempts to reach out for assistance or to escape;
Whereas, although laws to prosecute perpetrators of human
trafficking and to assist and protect victims of human
trafficking and modern slavery, such as the Trafficking
Victims Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7101 et seq.),
title XII of the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act
of 2013 (Public Law 113-4; 127 Stat. 136), the Trade
Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act of 2015 (19 U.S.C.
4301 et seq.), the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of
2015 (Public Law 114-22; 129 Stat. 227), and the National
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 (Public Law
114-328; 130 Stat. 2000), have been enacted in the United
States, it is essential to increase public awareness,
particularly amongst individuals who are most likely to come
into contact with victims of human trafficking and modern
slavery, regarding conditions and dynamics of human
trafficking and modern slavery precisely because traffickers
use techniques that are designed to severely limit self-
reporting and evade law enforcement;
Whereas January 1 is the anniversary of the effective date
of the Emancipation Proclamation;
Whereas February 1 is--
(1) the anniversary of the date on which President Abraham
Lincoln signed the joint resolution sending the 13th
Amendment to the Constitution of the United States to the
States for ratification to forever declare that ``Neither
slavery nor involuntary servitude . . . shall exist within
the United States, or any place subject to their
jurisdiction''; and
(2) a date that has long been celebrated as ``National
Freedom Day'', as described in section 124 of title 36,
United States Code; and
Whereas, under the authority of Congress to enforce the
13th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States ``by
appropriate legislation'', Congress, through the Trafficking
Victims Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7101 et seq.),
updated the post-Civil War involuntary servitude and slavery
statutes and adopted an approach of victim protection,
vigorous prosecution, and prevention of human trafficking,
commonly known as the ``3P approach'': Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate supports--
(1) observing ``National Trafficking and Modern Slavery
Prevention Month'' during the period beginning on January 1,
2018, and ending on February 1, 2018, to recognize the vital
role that the people of the United States have in ending
human trafficking and modern slavery;
(2) marking the observation of ``National Trafficking and
Modern Slavery Prevention Month'' with appropriate programs
and activities, culminating in the observance on February 1,
2018, of ``National Freedom Day'', as described in section
124 of title 36, United States Code; and
(3) all other efforts to prevent, eradicate, and raise
awareness of, and opposition to, human trafficking and modern
slavery.
Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, I rise to introduce a resolution in
observance of National Trafficking and Modern Slavery Prevention Month,
to bring awareness to the terrible scourge of modern slavery and human
trafficking around the world.
In 2016 alone, the National Human Trafficking Hotline received 26,727
calls to report incidents of human trafficking in the United States.
From those calls, 7,793 victims were identified. These individuals were
trafficked across various sectors, economies, and geographical regions
under conditions of force, fraud, or coercion.
The United States must not turn a blind eye to this scourge. The
State Department estimates that 14,500 to 17,500 people are trafficked
into the U.S. each year. Amongst federally identified trafficking
victims in 2016, the top three countries of origin include the United
States.
Importantly, more than a quarter of the trafficking cases identified
by the National Human Trafficking Hotline involved U.S. citizen
victims. According to a recent study by Polaris, modern slavery and
trafficking operates throughout a range of U.S. industries including
our factories, our agricultural centers, as well as our hospitality and
domestic work businesses.
We must all, as Americans, raise our awareness of this pernicious
crime that often goes unnoticed and undetected in our communities.
Part of the reason it is undetected is that traffickers prey on
vulnerable populations--like those in the juvenile justice system--and
use numerous physical and psychological techniques to control their
victims behind closed doors: isolating them from the public, exploiting
language and cultural barriers, and threatening victims with violence.
These techniques are specifically designed to prevent victims from
coming forward to authorities and they are extremely effective. This is
why we must do better. We must do everything we can to raise public
awareness so that we can all recognize the warning signs.
I have been heartened that in recent years, various private entities,
such as hotels, the travel industry, and recently those in the
convenience-store industry, have all come together to commit to
training their employees to better detect human trafficking and modern
slavery.
In addition to raising awareness, January is also a month to renew
our commitment to enforce--and enact laws to help eradicate modern
slavery and trafficking.
Back in 2000, Congress enacted the Trafficking Victims Protection
Act, which marked a strong commitment to prosecute traffickers and
better aid victims. This Congress, Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley
and I authored the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2017, which
was complemented by the Cornyn-Klobuchar Abolish Human Trafficking Act
of 2017, to update our trafficking laws to better aid victims.
These bills passed the Senate in November, and the House should adopt
these measures quickly so they can be signed into law.
Finally, in introducing today's resolution, I would like to thank
Senator Grassley, Senator Cornyn, and Senator Klobuchar for
cosponsoring the resolution, and for all of their leadership in this
area.
Thank you very much, Mr. President. I yield the Floor.
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