[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 20 (Tuesday, January 30, 2018)]
[House]
[Page H690]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           HUMAN TRAFFICKING

  (Mr. LaHOOD asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. LaHOOD. Madam Speaker, every year, over 14,000 people are 
trafficked into the United States. Human trafficking is modern-day 
slavery and is going on in our communities all across the country. That 
is why, last week, in my district, I hosted a roundtable with local law 
enforcement, healthcare officials, victim advocates, and elected 
officials as part of a Human Trafficking Awareness Month seminar to 
discuss how we can combat this problem.
  What we found is a lack of awareness and communication on this issue. 
The area that I represent contains major highways that are beltways for 
traffickers, which only makes it easier for this crime to continue.
  What we determined is that we need further training for law 
enforcement and healthcare providers so that this kind of abuse can be 
more easily identified and reported. We should also reexamine 
sentencing, as criminals currently face harsher sentences for drug 
trafficking than for human trafficking.
  The bills we voted on yesterday are positive steps in this fight 
against human trafficking and, hopefully, just the first of many to 
come. We must do all we can to raise awareness and end this 
humanitarian problem.

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