[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 189 (Friday, November 30, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1587]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      THE FIGHT FOR VICTIMS MUST GO ON--THE VICTIMS' RIGHTS CAUCUS

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                              HON. TED POE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, November 30, 2018

  Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, prior to being elected to Congress in 
2004, I spent 30 years as a criminal prosecutor and Judge in Houston, 
Texas. During that time, I encountered the worst of the worst in our 
society, from abusers to rapists to murderers. Even more painfully, I 
watched as countless victims of violent crime were utterly failed by 
the system. Victims were often thrown in jail, sent back to their 
abusers or just left to fend for themselves. It felt like the ultimate 
miscarriage of justice. Also during this time, I came across a type of 
criminal that I had never imagined flourished in this country--the 
human trafficker.
  Most Americans believed that human trafficking was an over-seas 
problem, not something that was occurring in their very own backyards. 
This lack of awareness allowed sex traffickers and the buyers of 
trafficking victims to practically walk free. It became very clear to 
me that something drastic had to be done to help victims of crime and 
raise awareness about these new rapidly expanding criminal enterprises 
in our country.
  As a matter of first priority after being elected to Congress, I 
founded the Victims' Rights Caucus (VRC) with Representative Jim Costa 
(D-CA). Our mission was to create a bi-partisan coalition of Members to 
represent the interests of victims of crime, generate awareness about 
how pervasive violent and sexual crime was in our country and increase 
resources available to law enforcement to combat the problem.
  Since its inception in 2005, the Caucus has taken the lead to protect 
programs that provide critical support for victim services throughout 
the nation, including the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA), Violence Against 
Women's Act (VAWA) and the Trafficking Victims Protection 
Reauthorization Act (TVPRA). The Caucus was instrumental in the 
enactment of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006, 
the Cruise Vessel Safety and Security Act, the Kate Puzey Peace Corps 
Volunteer Protection Act of 2011, the SAFER Act of 2013, the Victims of 
Child Abuse Reauthorization Act, the Justice for Victims of Trafficking 
Act and the Justice for All Act (JFAA).
  The VRC works closely with victims' rights organizations, shelters, 
advocacy groups and criminal justice reform groups. Every year, the 
Caucus hosts various briefings on victims' rights issues including 
domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse, elder abuse, human 
trafficking as well as various other topics. We also recognize National 
Crime Victims' Rights Week with our annual awards ceremony and policy 
forum.
  I am tremendously proud of the progress we have made as a nation to 
better support victims of crime and crack down on criminals. Topics 
like human trafficking, sexual abuse and domestic violence are no 
longer considered taboo. Counseling, resources and shelters are much 
more readily available to victims of crime. Both human traffickers and 
those caught buying human trafficking victims are now being prosecuted 
equally to the fullest extent of the law. I believe the VRC has greatly 
contributed to these successes so far, but there is still a lot of work 
to be done.
  Since deciding to retire at the end of my current term, I have put a 
lot of thought into who should replace me as co-chair of the VRC. 
Recently, I reached out to my good friend and fellow Texan Pete Olson 
to offer him the position. He enthusiastically accepted. Representative 
Olson is a hard-working, caring and dedicated public servant, and I 
know he will work tirelessly to further the successes of the VRC.
  I wish him and Representative Costa the best in their continued fight 
on behalf of crime victims. I have no doubt that Caucus will achieve 
many great things in the months and years to come.
  And that's just the way it is.

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