[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.

                          ____________________