[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 164 (Tuesday, September 22, 2020)]
[House]
[Pages H4674-H4677]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
LEVERAGING INFORMATION ON FOREIGN TRAFFICKERS ACT
Mr. CASTRO of Texas. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and
pass the bill (H.R. 5664) to amend the Trafficking Victims Protection
Act of 2000 to ensure adequate time for the preparation of the annual
Trafficking in Persons Report, require the timely provision of
information to the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons
and the Bureau of Diplomatic Security of the Department of State
regarding the number and location of visa denials based, in whole or in
part, on grounds related to human trafficking, and for other purposes,
as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 5664
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 ``Leveraging Information on
Foreign Traffickers Act'' or the ``LIFT Act''.
SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS.
It is the sense of Congress that--
(1) the annual Trafficking In Persons Report prepared by
the Department of State pursuant to the Trafficking Victims
Protection Act of 2000 (the ``TIP Report'') remains one of
the most comprehensive, timely, and important sources of
information on human trafficking in the world, and currently
includes 187 individual country narratives;
(2) in January 2019, the statute mandating the TIP Report
was amended to require that each report must cover efforts
and activities occurring within the period from April 1 of
the prior year through March 31 of the current year, which
necessarily requires the collection and transmission of
information after March 31;
(3) ensuring that the Department of State has adequate time
to receive, analyze, and incorporate trafficking-related
information into its annual Trafficking In Persons Report is
important to the quality and comprehensiveness of that
report;
(4) information regarding prevalence and patterns of human
trafficking is important for understanding the scourge of
modern slavery and making effective decisions about where and
how to combat it; and
(5) United States officials responsible for monitoring and
combating trafficking in persons around the world should
receive available information regarding where and how often
United States diplomatic and consular officials encounter
persons who are responsible for, or who knowingly benefit
from, severe forms of trafficking in persons.
SEC. 3. ANNUAL DEADLINE FOR TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS REPORT.
Section 110(b)(1) of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act
of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7107(b)(1)) is amended by striking ``June
1'' and inserting ``June 30''.
SEC. 4. UNITED STATES ADVISORY COUNCIL ON HUMAN TRAFFICKING.
(a) Extension.--Section 115(h) of the Justice for Victims
of Trafficking Act of 2015 (Public Law 114-22; 129 Stat. 243)
is amended by striking ``September 30, 2021'' and inserting
``September 30, 2025''.
(b) Compensation.--Section 115(f) of the Justice for
Victims of Trafficking Act of 2015 (Public Law 114-22; 129
Stat. 243) is amended--
(1) in paragraph (1), by striking ``and'' after the
semicolon at the end;
(2) in paragraph (2), by striking the period at end and
inserting ``; and''; and
(3) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
``(3) may each receive compensation for each day such
member is engaged in the actual performance of the duties of
the Council.''.
(c) Compensation Report.--Not later than 120 days after the
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State
shall provide to the relevant congressional committees a plan
to implement compensation for members of the United States
Advisory Council on Human Trafficking pursuant to paragraph
(3) of section 115(f) of the Justice for Victims of
Trafficking Act of 2015 (Public Law 114-22; 129 Stat. 243),
as added by subsection (b).
SEC. 5. TIMELY PROVISION OF INFORMATION TO THE OFFICE TO
MONITOR AND COMBAT TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS OF
THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE.
(a) In General.--Section 106 of the Trafficking Victims
Protection Act of 2000 (22
[[Page H4675]]
U.S.C. 7104) is amended by adding at the end the following
new subsection:
``(l) Information Regarding Human Trafficking-Related Visa
Denials.--
``(1) In general.--The Secretary of State shall ensure that
the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons and
the Bureau of Diplomatic Security of the Department of State
receive timely and regular information regarding United
States visa denials based, in whole or in part, on grounds
related to human trafficking.
``(2) Decisions regarding allocation.--The Secretary of
State shall ensure that decisions regarding the allocation of
resources of the Department of State related to combating
human trafficking and to law enforcement presence at United
States diplomatic and consular posts appropriately take into
account--
``(A) the information described in paragraph (1); and
``(B) the information included in the most recent report
submitted in accordance with section 110(b).''.
(b) Conforming Amendment.--Section 103 of the Trafficking
Victims Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7102) is amended by
adding at the end the following new paragraphs:
``(18) Grounds related to human trafficking.--The term
`grounds related to human trafficking' means grounds related
to the criteria for inadmissibility to the United States
described in subsection (a)(2)(H) of section 212 of the
Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1182).''.
SEC. 6. REPORTS TO CONGRESS.
(a) Initial Report.--Not later than 90 days after the date
of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall
provide to the relevant congressional committees a report
that--
(1) describes the actions that have been taken and that are
planned to implement subsection (l) of section 106 of the
Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7104),
as added by section 5 of this Act; and
(2) identifies by country and by United States diplomatic
and consular post the number of visa applications denied
during the previous calendar year with respect to which the
basis for such denial, included grounds related to human
trafficking (as such term is defined in section 103 of the
Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7102)
(as amended by section 5(b))).
(b) Annual Report.--Beginning with the first annual anti-
trafficking report required under subsection (b)(1) of
section 110 of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000
(22 U.S.C. 7107; enacted as division A of the Victims of
Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000) that is
submitted after the date of the enactment of this Act and
concurrent with each such subsequent submission for the
following seven years, the Secretary of State shall submit to
the relevant congressional committees a report that contains
information relating to the number and the locations of
United States visa denials based, in whole or in part, on
grounds related to human trafficking (as such term is defined
in section 103 of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of
2000 (22 U.S.C. 7102) (as amended by section 5(b))) during
the period covered by each such annual anti-trafficking
report.
SEC. 7. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Locations of united states visa denials.--The term
``location of United States visa denials'' means--
(A) the United States diplomatic or consular post at which
a denied United States visa application was adjudicated; and
(B) the city or locality of residence of the applicant
whose visa application was so denied.
(2) Relevant congressional committees.--The term ``relevant
congressional committees'' means--
(A) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on
the Judiciary of the House of Representatives; and
(B) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on
the Judiciary of the Senate.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Texas (Mr. Castro) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. McCaul) each will
control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Castro).
General Leave
Mr. CASTRO of Texas. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all
Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their
remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 5664.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Texas?
There was no objection.
Mr. CASTRO of Texas. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Madam Speaker, human trafficking, better termed modern-day slavery,
has grown into a sprawling and complex billion-dollar criminal
enterprise. An estimated 25 million people are currently victims of
trafficking, having been forced into abusive situations involving
forced labor, sex exploitation, and involuntary domestic servitude.
The House Foreign Affairs Committee has a long history of confronting
modern-day slavery, and the LIFT Act continues that legacy for this
committee.
Madam Speaker, I thank my good friend and the ranking member of the
committee, Mr. McCaul, for authoring this bill, and Mr. Smith for his
leadership on this issue for over two decades.
In 2000, President Clinton signed into law the Victims of Trafficking
and Violence Prevention Act, now hailed as the most comprehensive
legislation on human trafficking to date. That landmark piece of
legislation came out of the Foreign Affairs Committee and was authored
by our colleague, Chris Smith.
That legislation gave the State Department the responsibility of
drafting the annual Trafficking Report, which has been a critical
resource in pushing countries to take action to combat human
trafficking.
The bill before us ensures that the State Department has adequate
time to prepare the annual Trafficking Report. It streamlines data
sharing among bureaus on visa denials for human traffickers and engages
trafficking survivors in our policymaking process.
We must continue to fight modern-day slavery and work to enact
legislation that brings us to a brighter future free of this horrific
injustice. Today's measure is a step in that direction, and I hope all
of my colleagues, Republican and Democrat, will join me in supporting
it.
Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
House of Representatives,
Committee on Judiciary,
Washington, DC, July 30, 2020.
Hon. Eliot L. Engel,
Chairman, Committee on Foreign Affairs,
House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman Engel: This is to advise you that the
Committee on the Judiciary has now had an opportunity to
review the provisions in H.R. 5664, the LIFT Act, that fall
within our Rule X jurisdiction. I appreciate your consulting
with us on those provisions. The Judiciary Committee has no
objection to your including them in the bill for
consideration on the House floor, and to expedite that
consideration is willing to waive sequential referral, with
the understanding that we do not thereby waive any future
jurisdictional claim over those provisions or their subject
matters.
In the event a House-Senate conference on this or similar
legislation is convened, the Judiciary Committee reserves the
right to request an appropriate number of conferees to
address any concerns with these or similar provisions that
may arise in conference.
Please place this letter into the Congressional Record
during consideration of the measure on the House floor. Thank
you for the cooperative spirit in which you have worked
regarding this matter and others between our committees.
Sincerely,
Jerrold Nadler,
Chairman.
____
House of Representatives,
Committee on Foreign Affairs,
Washington, DC, July 31, 2020.
Hon. Jerrold Nadler,
Chairman, Committee on the Judiciary,
House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman Nadler: I am writing to you concerning H.R.
5664, the LIFT Act. I appreciate your willingness to work
cooperatively on this legislation.
I acknowledge that provisions of the bill fall within the
jurisdiction of the House Committee on the Judiciary under
House Rule X, and that your Committee will forgo action on
H.R. 5664 to expedite floor consideration. I further
acknowledge that the inaction of your Committee with respect
to the bill does not waive any future jurisdictional claim
over the matters contained in the bill that fall within your
jurisdiction. I will also support the appointment of
Committee on the Judiciary conferees during any House-Senate
conference convened on this legislation.
Lastly, I will ensure that our exchange of letters is
included in the Congressional Record during floor
consideration of the bill. Thank you again for your
cooperation regarding the legislation. I look forward to
continuing to work with you as the measure moves through the
legislative process.
Sincerely,
Eliot L. Engel,
Chairman.
Mr. McCAUL. Madam Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may
consume.
Madam Speaker, the trafficking of people, whether for sexual
exploitation or forced labor, is an affront to human dignity. It is, as
the gentleman from Texas said, a modern-day form of slavery that
oppresses nearly 25 million people around the world, including
[[Page H4676]]
right here in the United States and in my home State of Texas.
A few years ago, a mother from Katy, Texas, in my district, reached
out to me with one request: ``Please help me bring my daughter home, my
daughter, Courtney.''
Courtney was a junior in high school. She was on the swim team and
attended church regularly. She was groomed, unfortunately, by
traffickers. She was groomed at her high school.
Many parents think, ``This can't happen to my child,'' and not in
suburbia in Houston, but just ask Courtney's family that question.
The traffickers embedded themselves in the high school. They operated
through Courtney's classmates. Like leeches, they latched onto
Courtney's vulnerabilities, and they used them against her. It was then
that she was swept up into this nightmare and used like property.
We may expect things like this out of foreign countries, but not in
our backyards.
Thankfully, after several months of work with law enforcement,
Courtney returned home to her family. I was there when she came home.
She had battle scars. She had lost so much weight. She had just about
died. It was quite a reunion with a mother and father and their
daughter who had been gone for almost 2 years.
She now dedicates her time to raising awareness and educating others
on the signs of human trafficking. Her work earned her a spot on the
U.S. Advisory Council on Human Trafficking. I cannot be more proud of
her work and her inspiration to me and her contributions to the
council.
It is because of survivors like Courtney and the countless others
that Chairman Engel and I introduced the LIFT Act to continue our
committee's 20-year commitment to combating human trafficking.
{time} 1330
The LIFT Act will help our law enforcement officers and diplomatic
officials communicate better so we can then root out more human
traffickers and bring them to justice.
I was surprised to find out that when someone applies for a visa at
an embassy or a consulate and they are denied on human trafficking
grounds, that that information is not currently given to our law
enforcement officers, to the FBI.
The LIFT Act also gives a voice to survivors of human trafficking so
that brave people like Courtney will remain a central part of the
policy discussion.
By reauthorizing the survivor-led U.S. Advisory Council on Human
Trafficking through 2025, which is what this bill does, we are
empowering survivors and sharpening our tools to counter traffickers.
I am very grateful for the support this bill has received from the
Alliance to End Slavery and Trafficking, and the U.S. Conference of
Catholic Bishops.
Madam Speaker, the evil of slavery was abolished in this country many
years ago. We are still living up to the principles of our Founding
Fathers that all men are created equal. We are still bringing this
country to racial and social justice. It is still something we strive
for. We must end this form of human slavery today, and this bill is a
start.
We have a lot more work to do but the numbers are very perplexing. In
fact, the numbers are very disturbing, the numbers of young children,
both little girls and boys, who are swept up into this awful system.
I have worked most of my life as a Federal prosecutor on these issues
and now in Congress. I put the worst of the worst behind bars for these
crimes where they deserve to spend a very long time in our prison
system. They are the lowest of the low.
So with this bill today, we renew and strengthen our commitment to
stand with the exploited and the children against their oppressors.
Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. CASTRO of Texas. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. McCAUL. Madam Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from
Florida (Mr. Yoho).
Mr. YOHO. Madam Speaker, I would like to commend Chairmen McCaul,
Engel, and my colleague Mr. Castro for bringing up this strong
bipartisan bill.
Human trafficking is an issue which is still alive and well today,
unfortunately. It is modern-day slavery.
The International Labour Organization estimates that there are 40.3
million victims of human trafficking worldwide today. The global human
trafficking market is estimated to be a $150 billion per year industry,
and I hate to call it an industry. The profits from these nefarious and
heinous acts only go to fund corrupt governments and organizations to
rain more terror, pain, organ harvesting, and suffering on the world's
most vulnerable populations.
As of 2020, the Counter Trafficking Data Collaborative shows globally
108,613 individual cases of human trafficking; 164 countries of
exploitation; and 175 nationalities.
The LIFT Act will ensure adequate time for preparation of the State
Department's annual Trafficking in Persons Report. It will also require
timely provisions on information to the State Department on the number
and location of visa denials based wholly or partially on grounds
related to human trafficking.
One of the greatest challenges in developing targeted counter-traffic
responses and measuring their impact is the lack of reliable, high-
quality data related to the scale of human trafficking and the profile
of the victims.
The LIFT Act will help to provide this global data on human
trafficking through its insurance of thorough preparation of the State
Department's Trafficking in Persons Report. In these times of hyper-
partisanship, combating human trafficking is a worldwide scourge on
societies that we should, we can, and we do tackle in a bipartisan
fashion here.
In order to combat human trafficking, we must all continue to work
together.
I will, and I encourage all others to support the LIFT Act.
Mr. CASTRO of Texas. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. McCAUL. Madam Speaker, I am prepared to close, and I yield myself
such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, in 2002, I formed the Internet Crimes Against Children
unit in the attorney general's office in the State of Texas to stop
internet trafficking and stop the exploitation of children online.
Since that day, we have put thousands behind bars. This is a
worldwide scourge. It happens on an international level.
But what is, again, most disturbing, is it is happening now in our
backyards. It is happening in suburbia America.
A case like Courtney's is so compelling because you never thought it
would be possible in a town like Katy, Texas, but it happens, and it is
happening all over this Nation. The numbers from the FBI are revealing
and it is an industry. It is a sick industry that is run by
businessmen; that is run by lawyers, an industry that exploits our
children.
I have talked to many veterans with PTSD, but I can't imagine the
post-traumatic stress of a victim of human trafficking who has been
violated over and over and over again, offending the deepest ounce of
human dignity where there is no dignity left, where they had to put
their mind in such a place--almost like Stockholm syndrome--where they
can survive the horrors that they are living in day in and day out.
Madam Speaker, this has to stop. This bill will help, but this
Congress and the next Congress, we really need to ramp up our efforts
to take this issue square on, to put these monsters out of their
business and say they are closed forever, and to put them behind bars
for a very, very long time.
Madam Speaker, I would like to thank many in my district who have
worked hard on this issue: Houston 20's Jenn Hohman, and Austin 20's
Lisa Knapp. These women are warriors for the cause against human
trafficking. I also want to thank the Harris County human trafficking
task force for their great work on this effort. They are truly one of
the models for the Nation.
When the officials from Homeland Security came down from the Blue
Campaign, they told me this is one of the most effective operations we
have seen in the United States, and it is a model for the Nation.
[[Page H4677]]
Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this meaningful,
necessary legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. CASTRO of Texas. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume for the purpose of closing.
Combating human trafficking is a global challenge, and we are proud
of the State Department's critical role in that effort. This
legislation will ensure that the Department has the tools and resources
necessary to counter these heinous human rights abuses.
I would like to thank the ranking member, Mr. McCaul, for his work on
this important issue. This is a strong bill that I am pleased to
support, and I urge my colleagues, Democrat and Republican, to do the
same.
Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Castro) that the House suspend the rules and
pass the bill, H.R. 5664, 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. McCAUL. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to section 3 of House Resolution
965, the yeas and nays are ordered.
Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further proceedings on this motion
are postponed.
____________________