[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 57 (Tuesday, April 10, 2018)]
[House]
[Pages H3075-H3078]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1745
             END BANKING FOR HUMAN TRAFFICKERS ACT OF 2018

  Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and 
pass the bill (H.R. 2219) to increase the role of the financial 
industry in combating human trafficking, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 2219

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``End Banking for Human 
     Traffickers Act of 2018''.

     SEC. 2. INCREASING THE ROLE OF THE FINANCIAL INDUSTRY IN 
                   COMBATING HUMAN TRAFFICKING.

       (a) Treasury as a Member of the President's Interagency 
     Task Force To Monitor and Combat Trafficking.--Section 105(b) 
     of the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 
     2000 (22 U.S.C. 7103(b)) is amended by inserting ``the 
     Secretary of the Treasury,'' after ``the Secretary of 
     Education,''.
       (b) Required Review of Procedures.--Not later than 180 days 
     after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Financial 
     Institutions Examination Council, in consultation with the 
     Secretary of the Treasury, the private sector, and 
     appropriate law enforcement agencies, shall--
       (1) review and enhance training and examinations procedures 
     to improve the capabilities of anti-money laundering and 
     countering the financing of terrorism programs to detect 
     financial transactions relating to severe forms of 
     trafficking in persons;
       (2) review and enhance procedures for referring potential 
     cases relating to severe forms of trafficking in persons to 
     the appropriate law enforcement agency; and
       (3) determine, as appropriate, whether requirements for 
     financial institutions are sufficient to detect and deter 
     money laundering relating to severe forms of trafficking in 
     persons.
       (c) Interagency Task Force Recommendations Targeting Money 
     Laundering Related to Human Trafficking.--
       (1) In general.--Not later than 270 days after the date of 
     the enactment of this Act, the Interagency Task Force to 
     Monitor and Combat Trafficking shall submit to the Committee 
     on Financial Services and the Committee on the Judiciary of 
     the House of Representatives, the Committee on Banking, 
     Housing, and Urban Affairs and the Committee on the Judiciary 
     of the Senate, and the head of each appropriate Federal 
     banking agency--
       (A) an analysis of anti-money laundering efforts of the 
     United States Government and United States financial 
     institutions relating to severe forms of trafficking in 
     persons; and
       (B) appropriate legislative, administrative, and other 
     recommendations to strengthen efforts against money 
     laundering relating to severe forms of trafficking in 
     persons.
       (2) Required recommendations.--The recommendations under 
     paragraph (1) shall include--
       (A) feedback from financial institutions on best practices 
     of successful programs to combat severe forms of trafficking 
     in persons currently in place that may be suitable for 
     broader adoption by similarly situated financial 
     institutions;
       (B) feedback from stakeholders, including victims of severe 
     forms of trafficking in persons and financial institutions, 
     on policy proposals derived from the analysis conducted by 
     the task force referred to in paragraph (1) that would 
     enhance the efforts and programs of financial institutions to 
     detect and deter money laundering relating to severe forms of 
     trafficking in persons, including any recommended changes to 
     internal policies, procedures, and controls relating to 
     severe forms of trafficking in persons;
       (C) any recommended changes to training programs at 
     financial institutions to better equip employees to deter and 
     detect money laundering relating to severe forms of 
     trafficking in persons;
       (D) any recommended changes to expand information sharing 
     relating to severe forms of trafficking in persons among 
     financial institutions and between such financial 
     institutions, appropriate law enforcement agencies, and 
     appropriate Federal agencies; and
       (E) recommended changes, if necessary, to existing 
     statutory law to more effectively detect and deter money 
     laundering relating to severe forms of trafficking in 
     persons, where such money laundering involves the use of 
     emerging technologies and virtual currencies.
       (d) Limitation.--Nothing in this Act shall be construed to 
     grant rulemaking authority to the Interagency Task Force to 
     Monitor and Combat Trafficking.
       (e) Definitions.--As used in this section--
       (1) the term ``appropriate Federal banking agency'' has the 
     meaning given the term in section 3(q) of the Federal Deposit 
     Insurance Act (12 U.S.C. 1813(q));
       (2) the term ``severe forms of trafficking in persons'' has 
     the meaning given such term in section 103 of the Trafficking 
     Victims Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7102);
       (3) the term ``Interagency Task Force to Monitor and Combat 
     Trafficking'' means the Interagency Task Force to Monitor and 
     Combat Trafficking established by the President pursuant to 
     section 105 of the Victims of Trafficking and Violence 
     Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7103); and
       (4) the term ``law enforcement agency'' means an agency of 
     the United States, a State, or a political subdivision of a 
     State, authorized by law or by a government agency to engage 
     in or supervise the prevention, detection, investigation, or 
     prosecution of any violation of criminal or civil law.

     SEC. 3. COORDINATION OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING ISSUES BY THE 
                   OFFICE OF TERRORISM AND FINANCIAL INTELLIGENCE.

       (a) Functions.--Section 312(a)(4) of title 31, United 
     States Code, is amended--
       (1) by redesignating subparagraphs (E), (F), and (G) as 
     subparagraphs (F), (G), and (H), respectively; and
       (2) by inserting after subparagraph (D) the following:
       ``(E) combating illicit financing relating to severe forms 
     of trafficking in persons;''.
       (b) Interagency Coordination.--Section 312(a) of title 31, 
     United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the 
     following:
       ``(8) Interagency coordination.--The Secretary of the 
     Treasury, after consultation with the Undersecretary for 
     Terrorism and Financial Crimes, shall designate an office 
     within the OTFI that shall coordinate efforts to combat the 
     illicit financing of severe forms of trafficking in persons 
     with--
       ``(A) other offices of the Department of the Treasury;
       ``(B) other Federal agencies, including--
       ``(i) the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in 
     Persons of the Department of State; and
       ``(ii) the Interagency Task Force to Monitor and Combat 
     Trafficking;
       ``(C) State and local law enforcement agencies; and
       ``(D) foreign governments.''.
       (c) Definition.--Section 312(a) of title 31, United States 
     Code, as amended by this section, is further amended by 
     adding at the end the following:
       ``(9) Definition.--In this subsection, the term `severe 
     forms of trafficking in persons' has the meaning given such 
     term in section 103 of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act 
     of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7102).''.

[[Page H3076]]

  


     SEC. 4. ADDITIONAL REPORTING REQUIREMENT UNDER THE 
                   TRAFFICKING VICTIMS PROTECTION ACT OF 2000.

       Section 105(d)(7) of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act 
     of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7103(d)(7)) is amended--
       (1) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A)--
       (A) by inserting ``the Committee on Financial Services,'' 
     after ``the Committee on Foreign Affairs,''; and
       (B) by inserting ``the Committee on Banking, Housing, and 
     Urban Affairs,'' after ``the Committee on Foreign 
     Relations,'';
       (2) in subparagraph (Q)(vii), by striking ``; and'' and 
     inserting a semicolon;
       (3) in subparagraph (R), by striking the period at the end 
     and inserting ``; and''; and
       (4) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(S) the efforts of the United States to eliminate money 
     laundering relating to severe forms of trafficking in persons 
     and the number of investigations, arrests, indictments, and 
     convictions in money laundering cases with a nexus to severe 
     forms of trafficking in persons.''.''.

     SEC. 5. MINIMUM STANDARDS FOR THE ELIMINATION OF TRAFFICKING.

       Section 108(b) of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 
     2000 (22 U.S.C. 7106(b)) is amended by adding at the end the 
     following new paragraph:
       ``(13) Whether the government of the country, consistent 
     with the capacity of the country, has in effect a framework 
     to prevent financial transactions involving the proceeds of 
     severe forms of trafficking in persons, and is taking steps 
     to implement such a framework, including by investigating, 
     prosecuting, convicting, and sentencing individuals who 
     attempt or conduct such transactions.''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Royce) and the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. 
Keating) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California.


                             General Leave

  Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that 
all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their 
remarks and to include any extraneous material on this bill in the 
Record.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from California?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, this legislation is on human trafficking, which, put 
another way, is modern-day slavery. It continues to devastate the lives 
of millions of people; and whether we are talking about trafficking, 
labor trafficking, which is indentured servitude or, basically, 
slavery, or whether we are talking about underage children that are 
frequently trafficked for sexual exploitation by these criminal 
syndicates, the results are the same.
  The results to these broken lives, due to these perpetrators of these 
disgusting acts who prey on these vulnerable and defenseless people, 
leave in their wake the broken lives of these children and of those who 
are trafficked for labor.
  These are not faraway crimes, as the Members here know from their own 
districts. These are crimes in the United States; and if you go to Los 
Angeles and ask the District Attorney, or you ask the District Attorney 
in Orange County, what is the average age that children are trafficked 
into these brothels or into these syndicates, they will tell you the 
average age now is 14.
  When you ask them why, they will tell you because a 14-year-old or 
15-year-old is much less likely to put up resistance once she has been 
kidnapped or enticed by some Romeo into this kind of conduct.
  I think of the survivors when I think about this, the ones that many 
of us have met who share their stories with us, and I think of Angela 
Guanzon. She was labor-trafficked, working in an abusive workplace day-
in, day-out, 16 hours, 18 hours, never seeing the light of day, 
sleeping on the hallway floor. Survivors have taught me that the horror 
of trafficking lies not in the statistics that we talk about here, but 
in the stolen lives of these people.
  Why is this so common? How can it be that we have so many instances 
of this?
  It is common because it is profitable and because these people, these 
children and others who are trafficked, have very little resistance. 
That is why.
  The International Labor Organization estimates that it is a $150 
billion business in illegal profit made from forced labor each year, 
making human trafficking the third most valuable criminal enterprise in 
the world.
  And guess what? If your gang is involved in this instead of in drug 
crimes, they are much less likely to experience violence themselves 
because their victims cannot really fight back. They are in a line of 
work where they can lord their violence over their victims.
  Traffickers are laundering their money through financial institutions 
that they can access with the click of a keyboard; and cutting off 
their access to the banking system is critical to putting an end to 
these illegal operations once and for all.
  The End Banking for Human Traffickers Act of 2018 will help law 
enforcement and financial institutions identify and report suspected 
human traffickers so that they can be prosecuted to the fullest extent 
of the law.
  In California, by the way, we had, a few years ago, put a new law on 
the books that allows us, if we can catch them, to put them away for 
over 20 years.
  I want to thank my colleagues on the Financial Services Committee, 
especially Chairman Hensarling and Ranking Member Maxine Waters, for 
their important contributions to this legislation.
  This legislation will not only bolster our efforts to combat human 
traffickers' use of our domestic financial institutions, but it is 
going to encourage other countries to cut off traffickers from their 
global financial system.
  This bill is going to update the State Department's annual 
Trafficking in Persons Report to require a country-by-country 
assessment of whether foreign governments have a framework in place to 
prevent financial transactions involving the proceeds of severe forms 
of human trafficking.
  Now, these annual reports, as we know, which the State Department 
uses to rank countries' efforts to combat trafficking, are taken very 
seriously in foreign capitals. They have helped to reinforce global 
norms of responsible behavior.
  I say that because when we first introduced this some years ago, we 
have seen 120 governments now enact national anti-trafficking laws in 
order to try to comply with the reports that we do through our audits 
through our State Department in these other countries. They do not want 
to be shamed. When we name them, we shame them, and so we get 
compliance. This will assist on that as well. It is a critical first 
step for enforcement.
  So, as the center of the global financial system and the leading 
country in terms of combating human trafficking in the world, the 
United States must take all possible steps to address this crime and, 
for this reason, this bill, H.R. 2219, deserves our unanimous support.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. KEATING. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this measure. As an original 
cosponsor of the End Banking for Human Traffickers Act of 2018, I would 
like to first thank my coauthors, Chairman Royce, Representative 
Maloney, and Representative Love. I am proud of our bipartisan work on 
this important issue.
  This issue represents actions that are abhorrent, coercive, actions 
that constitute modern-day slavery. They also are sustained because 
they are among the most lucrative criminal activities we have in the 
world right now.

  This is ranked as the third most lucrative international crime in the 
world. And it is a unique one in the sense that, unlike drugs, where 
they will market their poison to individuals and they will be ingested 
and consumed and that ends the transaction, tragically, you see, time 
and time again, that these young women, many of them children, over and 
over again are used by these financial purveyors of criminality in 
their actions to redundantly gain profits at the expense of destroying 
and taking away years of innocent lives.
  This legislation is a testament to how important our bipartisan 
collaboration is here in the House, as well as among our colleagues in 
the Senate. When we have the opportunity to work together, we take 
meaningful action to address real harms being suffered by

[[Page H3077]]

innocent people here and around the world. And this is, indeed, not 
only an international issue where we need cooperation, but it is a 
domestic issue as well.
  In 2012, the International Labor Organization estimated that there 
were 21 million victims of human trafficking worldwide. In the United 
States alone, over 8,500 human trafficking cases were reported just 
last year, and those are cases where the investigation was fruitful and 
the prosecution commenced, an understatement by multiple effects of 
what the actual incidence of this crime is.
  While there are current laws to combat the practice of human 
trafficking by criminalizing perpetrators and providing support for 
victims, the End Banking for Human Traffickers Act of 2018 works to 
dismantle the economic framework that enables it and sustains it. It 
empowers the Secretary of the Treasury with the ability to assist and 
directly get involved to a greater extent with all the other agencies 
involved. I know, from my own experience, that the importance of that 
coordination will more easily lead to good cases and more effective 
prosecutions and bringing people to justice.
  I come at this issue from many perspectives; one of them being my 
position, as with Chairman Royce, on the Foreign Affairs Committee, 
where we look at the international factor that we are trying to work 
cooperatively throughout the world and here at home to better 
prosecute, better bring to justice.
  I also represent the Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and 
Intelligence in the Homeland Security Committee, and it is important to 
note that this criminal enterprise is one of the most prominent ways 
that terrorists fund themselves.
  While we have had effect trying to eliminate the caliphate and the 
taxing that goes with that, we have seen terrorists lose those 
opportunities to raise money. However, what we have seen is them move 
even further into other areas to sustain their terrorist activity; and 
primary among them is the use of human trafficking and the funding for 
their terrorist activity through that criminal enterprise.
  Another way I have come to view this is as a former District Attorney 
myself. I worked with the regional task force in the Boston region in 
Massachusetts to try and work to coordinate activities to seek out, to 
investigate, and ultimately prosecute human trafficking.
  There is one thing I did know through my term as a District Attorney 
and looking at this issue as well, more specifically: If we are going 
to be effective, one of the best tools we have in terms of 
investigating, seeking out this activity, and bringing it to justice, 
is to follow the money, and that is what this act does. It follows the 
money. It uses the economic tools we have here, through the Secretary 
of the Treasury, among many other assets we have in this country, and 
it seeks out and will find out, from the money laundering standpoint, 
just who is involved, where this is occurring, and how we can attack 
it.
  Human trafficking is a multi-billion dollar industry. Its 
perpetrators rely on banking and financial systems to fund and profit 
their crimes against innocent men, women, and children, and this bill 
will strengthen our work to target, prosecute, and to bring to justice 
those who reap financial rewards from this abhorrent criminal practice.
  This Congress, the House passed a number of important bills dealing 
with anti-trafficking measures. This is one of the most important, and 
it strikes it at its heart, where we can find out where this is 
occurring, where we can investigate further everyone that is involved 
in this. It is not just limited to the people that we find in the 
initial investigations with these reports, we will be better able to 
bring everyone involved in this activity to justice.
  So let's continue this momentum by passing the End Banking for Human 
Traffickers Act of 2018.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.

  I would just begin here by recognizing Representative Bill Keating, 
who brings to this issue--I just want to acknowledge this. We don't 
have that many District Attorneys, former District Attorneys in this 
body who have the experience of law enforcement in terms of dealing 
with the types of criminals that go into this line of work, and he 
brings that expertise and has assisted greatly in this. I just wanted 
to acknowledge that before the body today.
  I acknowledge also the contribution of Congressman Chris Smith, who, 
I think it was in 2000, as I recall, originally brought before us this 
very idea of how to combat human trafficking internationally. He has 
worked on many, many issues, the International Megan's Law, and many 
others.
  But this idea of how we could hold governments around the world to 
account, this idea of the TIP Report, and then, on top of it, the 
enforcement, so that it meant something; the idea that he would get on 
a plane and go and make certain that our consulates and our embassies 
overseas were carrying out that audit, and that the victims had someone 
to explain this to; that NGOs had someone to talk to about what was 
going on in-country, so that, country by country by country, he could 
identify situations where underaged children were being trafficked or 
being exploited.
  I just wanted to acknowledge that the gentleman has really been 
dogged all of these years in moving this issue, and thank him again for 
what he has done for humanity, frankly.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. 
Smith).

                              {time}  1800

  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, first of all, let me thank 
Chairman Royce for his very kind remarks. I want to thank him for his 
extraordinary leadership on combating human trafficking for so many 
years.
  This bill is just another example of that ironclad commitment to the 
victims and to trying to bring to justice the perpetrators of this 
offensive and really abject cruelty perpetrated by human traffickers.
  H.R. 2219, authored by Chairman Royce and, of course, joined by Mr. 
Keating, Mrs. Maloney, and Mrs. Love as original cosponsors of the End 
Banking for Human Traffickers Act of 2018, will make an enormous 
difference when enacted into law. It recognizes the very important role 
the Secretary of the Treasury has to play in the detection and 
eradication of human trafficking, and it ensures that the Secretary is 
included in the President's Interagency Task Force to Monitor and 
Combat Human Trafficking.
  As we all know, Mr. Speaker, profits drive human trafficking. Profits 
drive human traffickers to do unspeakable harm to their fellow human 
beings. Trafficking victims suffer unspeakable cruelty that scars, if 
they are rescued and are the lucky ones who are rescued, scars that 
they carry on for the entirety of their life.
  This bill goes after the traffickers' profits by turning the 
Treasury's watchful eye on the traffickers' system for moving and 
hiding money. The Royce bill will ensure that those working at the 
Treasury's anti-money laundering and terrorist financing units are 
ready, willing, and able and empowered legally to detect signs that 
money may by tied to traffickers and to report their findings to law 
enforcement.
  The bill asks the Secretary of the Treasury to review the 
Department's systems and tell Congress if any additional legislative 
changes are needed so that the Department can be effective in the fight 
against human trafficking.
  Finally, the bill adds, as the chairman pointed out in his opening 
comments, to the minimum standards to combat human trafficking by which 
we evaluate every country in the world, including our own, whether a 
government is keeping a watchful eye on financial transactions, putting 
the issue on the map for countries that have never thought about it and 
may be unwittingly providing financial cover to the traffickers.
  This bill will reduce profits of the traffickers and, again, will set 
an example for other countries of the world to follow.
  Mr. Speaker, I applaud Chairman Royce for his bill and hope this body 
will strongly support it.
  Mr. KEATING. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

[[Page H3078]]

  Mr. Speaker, first off, I would like to say, as the chairman 
mentioned in the previous resolution that we discussed, Mr. Royce is 
leaving us at the end of this term, and I would like to thank him for 
the real bipartisan effort we have shown--Mr. Smith typifies that as 
well--on the Foreign Affairs Committee.
  This is an important committee that has broad responsibilities, as 
this bill indicates; and, in a Congress where, too often, there are 
divides and bitterness, that committee stands out as a committee of 
members who work together, who accomplish solutions to very complex 
international problems that affect us here at home. I know, going 
forward, I believe very strongly, we are going to have an even larger 
role in issues to come.
  Mr. Speaker, modern-day slavery destroys the lives of far too many 
innocent people. Today, in 2018, this should no longer be a topic of 
discussion, yet it is becoming increasingly more problematic.
  The solutions are within reach, and that requires coordination and 
cooperation. This bill does both. We have the information; we have the 
expertise; now we must act decisively to put the best tools in the 
right hands to end this injustice once and for all. And by focusing on 
the financial mechanism that enables this and sustains this, we will be 
best able to combat it, not just in seeking it out and destroying it, 
but making sure, in a comprehensive way, we deal with all those 
wrongdoers that are involved, not just a few at the bottom rung of the 
ladder.
  This bill will give the right people around the table the opportunity 
to better equip themselves to combat human trafficking and break down 
the financing that supports and enables this heinous crime.
  Mr. Speaker, I again thank my coauthors for their efforts, and I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, with Chairman Smith present, I want to speak on the 
legislation which he previously brought up, the legislation prior to 
this bill. I want to join him--I am a cosponsor of his legislation--in 
support of H. Res. 128.
  He and Karen Bass and other Members have worked together as 
cosponsors of this legislation, and I want to say the Ethiopians are a 
very proud people. They have a very rich heritage and a very rich 
history.
  Ethiopia is a very important partner for the United States. It has 
asserted regional influence through rapid economic growth, as we know, 
and strong cooperation with us on our security initiatives in the 
region. It has that commitment that it constantly shows towards 
combating radical jihadist extremism, and it has made notable strides 
to address domestic challenges of health and child survival and food 
security.
  We have both made trips out there to see that progress, and we 
celebrate these accomplishments. Ethiopia has come a long way from the 
devastating famines of the 1980s, and it has achieved much of the 
benchmarks. Most of the benchmarks that the Millennium Development 
Goals have set out for it to date have been met.
  This resolution recognizes the need to continue a close partnership 
between the United States and Ethiopia to continue that momentum. But 
it is because of these important bilateral ties that we must ensure 
that Ethiopia is respecting good governance and democratic values.

  Deeply ingrained ethnic divisions, marginalization, and years of 
conflict provide unique governance challenges for the country. 
Advancing democratic values is never easy, but they are the best way to 
further Ethiopia's progress and to further our robust bilateral 
relationship.
  Reports of widespread human rights abuses and crackdowns on freedom 
of expression and excessive force against peaceful protestors are 
unacceptable.
  The Government of Ethiopia has released thousands of political 
prisoners in the last few months, and this is a welcome development. 
However, the recently reimposed state of emergency criminalizes 
peaceful assembly and allows state security forces to arrest citizens 
without charge. This state of emergency must be lifted immediately, 
which is what this resolution also calls for.
  The United States must hold the Government of Ethiopia accountable to 
the peaceful voices of their citizens, while allowing for inclusive 
political participation and respecting human rights and freedom of 
expression.
  All parties must come to the table in order to advance democratic 
principles and chart the course for a prosperous, inclusive, and 
peaceful Ethiopia; otherwise, stability and economic progress will 
suffer over the long term.
  There is cause for hope, and I commend Dr. Abiy Ahmed for his recent 
appointment as Prime Minister. I am so encouraged by his call for 
increased political competition and in defense of fundamental human 
rights. We hope that, under his leadership, the government will enact 
meaningful political and social reforms.
  Mr. Speaker, I would also like to thank my colleague Representative 
Coffman for his work on this resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, returning to the End Banking for Human Traffickers Act, 
I want to again thank my colleagues, the ranking member of the Foreign 
Affairs Committee, Mr. Engel, Chairman Hensarling, Ranking Member 
Waters of the Financial Services Committee, and, of course, Bill 
Keating for their support of this important legislation. And I thank 
Mr. Chris Smith again.
  I have seen some real reasons for hope that I think, when we are 
talking about a topic that is this grim, it is good to remind ourselves 
of how awareness can lead to coordinated action and how that, then, can 
lead to freeing people from this bondage, especially freeing children 
from this bondage.
  In southern California, we have had great involvement from concerned 
citizens, certainly from our NGO community, the local law enforcement. 
I have a trafficking task force that I put together some years ago to 
bring all of these forces together and work also with victims--
survivors, as they refer to themselves--working together to drive these 
forms of exploitation out of our community; and I have seen some of the 
effectiveness, especially last October, with the good work of the FBI 
shutting down, across this Nation, so many of these rings.
  But if we are going to be successful in ending this horrific trade, 
not just here but worldwide, we have got to cut traffickers off from 
the financial system. These criminals are laundering profits through 
that financial system far too easily. This bill will help end that easy 
access, and it is certainly going to strengthen the tools for law 
enforcement to fight these crimes against human dignity.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from California (Mr. Royce) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 2219, as amended.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and 
nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further 
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.

                          ____________________