[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 194 (Wednesday, December 14, 2022)]
[House]
[Pages H9823-H9826]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                COUNTERING HUMAN TRAFFICKING ACT OF 2021

  Mr. NADLER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (S. 2991) to establish a Department of Homeland Security Center 
for Countering Human Trafficking, and for other purposes.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                                S. 2991

       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 ``Countering Human Trafficking 
     Act of 2021''.

     SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

       It is the sense of Congress that--
       (1) the victim-centered approach must become universally 
     understood, adopted, and practiced;
       (2) criminal justice efforts must increase the focus on, 
     and adeptness at, investigating and prosecuting forced labor 
     cases;
       (3) corporations must eradicate forced labor from their 
     supply chains;
       (4) the Department of Homeland Security must lead by 
     example--
       (A) by ensuring that its government supply chain of 
     contracts and procurement are not tainted by forced labor; 
     and
       (B) by leveraging all of its authorities against the 
     importation of goods produced with forced labor; and
       (5) human trafficking training, awareness, identification, 
     and screening efforts--
       (A) are a necessary first step for prevention, protection, 
     and enforcement; and
       (B) should be evidence-based to be most effective.

     SEC. 3. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY CENTER FOR COUNTERING 
                   HUMAN TRAFFICKING.

       (a) Establishment.--
       (1) In general.--The Secretary of Homeland Security shall 
     operate, within U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's 
     Homeland Security Investigations, the Center for Countering 
     Human Trafficking (referred to in this Act as ``CCHT'').
       (2) Purpose.--The purpose of CCHT shall be to serve at the 
     forefront of the Department of Homeland Security's unified 
     global efforts to counter human trafficking through law 
     enforcement operations and victim protection, prevention, and 
     awareness programs.
       (3) Administration.--Homeland Security Investigations 
     shall--
       (A) maintain a concept of operations that identifies CCHT 
     participants, funding, core functions, and personnel; and
       (B) update such concept of operations, as needed, to 
     accommodate its mission and the threats to such mission.
       (4) Personnel.--
       (A) Director.--The Secretary of Homeland Security shall 
     appoint a CCHT Director, who shall--
       (i) be a member of the Senior Executive Service; and
       (ii) serve as the Department of Homeland Security's 
     representative on human trafficking.
       (B) Minimum core personnel requirements.--Subject to 
     appropriations, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall 
     ensure that CCHT is staffed with at least 45 employees in 
     order to maintain continuity of effort, subject matter 
     expertise, and necessary support to the Department of 
     Homeland Security, including--
       (i) employees who are responsible for the Continued 
     Presence Program and other victim protection duties;
       (ii) employees who are responsible for training, including 
     curriculum development, and public awareness and education;
       (iii) employees who are responsible for stakeholder 
     engagement, Federal interagency coordination, multilateral 
     partnerships, and policy;
       (iv) employees who are responsible for public relations, 
     human resources, evaluation, data analysis and reporting, and 
     information technology;
       (v) special agents and criminal analysts necessary to 
     accomplish its mission of combating human trafficking and the 
     importation of goods produced with forced labor; and
       (vi) managers.
       (b) Operations Unit.--The CCHT Director shall operate, 
     within CCHT, an Operations Unit, which shall, at a minimum--
       (1) support criminal investigations of human trafficking 
     (including sex trafficking and forced labor)--
       (A) by developing, tracking, and coordinating leads; and
       (B) by providing subject matter expertise;
       (2) augment the enforcement of the prohibition on the 
     importation of goods produced with forced labor through civil 
     and criminal authorities;
       (3) coordinate a Department-wide effort to conduct 
     procurement audits and enforcement actions, including 
     suspension and debarment, in order to mitigate the risk of 
     human trafficking throughout Department acquisitions and 
     contracts; and
       (4) support all CCHT enforcement efforts with intelligence 
     by conducting lead development, lead validation, case 
     support, strategic analysis, and data analytics.
       (c) Protection and Awareness Programs Unit.--The CCHT 
     Director shall operate, within CCHT, a Protection and 
     Awareness Programs Unit, which shall--
       (1) incorporate a victim-centered approach throughout 
     Department of Homeland Security policies, training, and 
     practices;
       (2) operate a comprehensive Continued Presence program;
       (3) conduct, review, and assist with Department of Homeland 
     Security human trafficking training, screening, and 
     identification tools and efforts;
       (4) operate the Blue Campaign's nationwide public awareness 
     effort and any other awareness efforts needed to encourage 
     victim identification and reporting to law enforcement and to 
     prevent human trafficking; and
       (5) coordinate external engagement, including training and 
     events, regarding human trafficking with critical partners, 
     including survivors, nongovernmental organizations, 
     corporations, multilateral entities, law enforcement 
     agencies, and other interested parties.

     SEC. 4. SPECIALIZED INITIATIVES.

       (a) Human Trafficking Information Modernization 
     Initiative.--The CCHT Director, in conjunction with the 
     Science and Technology Directorate Office of Science and 
     Engineering, shall develop a strategy and proposal to modify 
     systems and processes throughout the Department of Homeland 
     Security that are related to CCHT's mission in order to--
       (1) decrease the response time to access victim 
     protections;
       (2) accelerate lead development;
       (3) advance the identification of human trafficking 
     characteristics and trends;
       (4) fortify the security and protection of sensitive 
     information;
       (5) apply analytics to automate manual processes; and
       (6) provide artificial intelligence and machine learning to 
     increase system capabilities and enhance data availability, 
     reliability, comparability, and verifiability.

[[Page H9824]]

       (b) Submission of Plan.--Upon the completion of the 
     strategy and proposal under subsection (a), the Secretary of 
     Homeland Security shall submit a summary of the strategy and 
     plan for executing the strategy to--
       (1) the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental 
     Affairs of the Senate; and
       (2) the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of 
     Representatives.

     SEC. 5. REPORTS.

       (a) Information Sharing to Facilitate Reports and 
     Analysis.--Each subagency of the Department of Homeland 
     Security shall share with CCHT--
       (1) any information needed by CCHT to develop the strategy 
     and proposal required under section 4(a); and
       (2) any additional data analysis to help CCHT better 
     understand the issues surrounding human trafficking.
       (b) Report to Congress.--Not later than 1 year after the 
     date of the enactment of this Act, the CCHT Director shall 
     submit a report to Congress that identifies any legislation 
     that is needed to facilitate the Department of Homeland 
     Security's mission to end human trafficking.
       (c) Annual Report on Potential Human Trafficking Victims.--
     Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this 
     Act, and annually thereafter, the Secretary of Homeland 
     Security shall submit a report to Congress that includes--
       (1) the numbers of screened and identified potential 
     victims of trafficking (as defined in section 103(17) of the 
     Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 
     7102(17))) at or near the international border between the 
     United States and Mexico, including a summary of the age 
     ranges of such victims and their countries of origin; and
       (2) an update on the Department of Homeland Security's 
     efforts to establish protocols and methods for personnel to 
     report human trafficking, pursuant to the Department of 
     Homeland Security Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking, the 
     Importation of Goods Produced with Forced Labor, and Child 
     Sexual Exploitation, published in January 2020.

     SEC. 6. TRANSFER OF OTHER FUNCTIONS RELATED TO HUMAN 
                   TRAFFICKING.

       (a) Blue Campaign.--The functions and resources of the Blue 
     Campaign located within the Office of Partnership and 
     Engagement on the day before the date of the enactment of 
     this Act are hereby transferred to CCHT.
       (b) Other Transfer.--
       (1) Authorization.--Not later than 180 days after the date 
     of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland 
     Security may transfer the functions and resources of any 
     component, directorate, or other office of the Department of 
     Homeland Security related to combating human trafficking to 
     the CCHT.
       (2) Notification.--Not later than 30 days before executing 
     any transfer authorized under paragraph (1), the Secretary of 
     Homeland Security shall notify the Committee on Homeland 
     Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate and the 
     Committee on Homeland Security of the House of 
     Representatives of such planned transfer.

     SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       In addition to amounts otherwise authorized to be 
     appropriated, there is authorized to be appropriated to the 
     Secretary of Homeland Security to carry out this Act 
     $14,000,000, which shall remain available until expended.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New 
York (Mr. Nadler) and the gentlewoman from Indiana (Mrs. Spartz) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New York.


                             General Leave

  Mr. NADLER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include 
extraneous material on S. 2991.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from New York?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. NADLER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 2991, which would codify the 
Center for Countering Human Trafficking within the Immigration and 
Customs Enforcement agency of the Department of Homeland Security; 
require the center to develop a strategy to improve the effectiveness 
of its programs; and transfer the Department's national trafficking 
awareness Blue Campaign to the center.
  Human trafficking is a multibillion-dollar criminal industry that 
exists in cities, suburbs, and rural towns and denies freedom to nearly 
25 million people around the world.
  Although some populations are more vulnerable than others, 
trafficking is a constant threat to the health and safety of victims of 
all ages, genders, nationalities, and backgrounds, while posing a grave 
danger to public health and safety, as well as national and global 
security.
  In 2020, the National Human Trafficking Hotline identified more than 
16,000 victims of human trafficking, who likely represent only a 
fraction of the total number of victims.
  In that same year, the Department of Homeland Security launched the 
Center for Countering Human Trafficking, or the CCHT, a centralized 
location for subject matter experts to coordinate and expand efforts to 
combat human trafficking. The CCHT integrates the efforts of 16 DHS 
offices and agencies that combat human sex trafficking and forced 
labor, which encompasses criminal investigations, victim assistance, 
identifying and reporting human trafficking, and external outreach, 
intelligence, and training.
  Since its establishment, the CCHT has made great strides, providing 
critical support and analysis to criminal investigators in the field; 
delivering comprehensive training to domestic and international 
audiences; and focusing on promoting an integrated, victim-centered 
approach to the investigation of human trafficking.
  However, because the center is not formally codified, it lacks 
permanence and long-term funding necessary to further strengthen its 
efforts.
  S. 2991 would make the CCHT permanent within ICE, ensuring that the 
progress made in recent years can be maintained and improved upon, 
while also increasing coordination among other components within DHS to 
fight human trafficking and prevent the importation of products made 
using forced labor.
  This legislation would allow the CCHT to fortify its permanent 
staffing with at least 45 employees that are special agents, criminal 
analysts, victim-support specialists, and other subject-matter experts 
dedicated to disrupting and dismantling human trafficking organizations 
and providing support and protection to their victims.
  To promote modernization of the CCHT's information systems and 
operations, which support global investigations of human trafficking 
and forced labor in supply chains, S. 2991 would require the 
development of a strategy and proposal to modify systems and processes 
related to its mission.
  Lastly, this bill would transfer to the CCHT the Blue Campaign, the 
national public awareness campaign designed to educate the public, law 
enforcement, and industry partners to recognize and respond to human 
trafficking, and authorize DHS to transfer any additional functions to 
the CCHT that combat human trafficking and the production of goods 
using forced labor.
  Because we know that traffickers are constantly looking for new ways 
to exploit new victims, we must do more to fight this grave crime. That 
includes being responsive to change and making necessary improvements 
to the agencies, offices, and components put in place to investigate, 
disrupt, and dismantle trafficking organizations and to give aid and 
support to victims.
  This bipartisan legislation would allow the Center for Countering 
Human Trafficking to continue guiding counter-human trafficking 
operations, protecting victims, and enhancing prevention efforts to 
combat human trafficking around the world.
  I thank Senator Gary Peters for introducing this important 
legislation, as well as Representative   John Katko, and the bipartisan 
coalition of colleagues who have worked on the House companion.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support the bill, and I 
reserve the balance of my time.
                                         House of Representatives,


                               Committee on Homeland Security,

                                 Washington, DC, December 9, 2022.
     Hon. Jerrold Nadler,
     Chairman, Committee on the Judiciary,
     House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairman Nadler: I am writing to you concerning S. 
     2991, the ``Countering Human Trafficking Act of 2021.'' There 
     are certain provisions in the legislation that fall within 
     the rule X jurisdiction of the Committee on Homeland 
     Security.
       In the interest of permitting your committee to proceed 
     expeditiously to floor consideration of this important bill, 
     I am willing to waive this committee's formal consideration 
     of the provisions that fall within its jurisdiction. I do so 
     with the understanding that, by waiving consideration of the 
     bill, the Committee on Homeland Security does not waive any 
     future jurisdictional claim over the subject matters 
     contained in the bill which fall within its rule X 
     jurisdiction.
       Please place this letter in the Congressional Record during 
     consideration of S. 2991

[[Page H9825]]

     on the House floor. Thank you for the cooperative spirit in 
     which you have worked regarding this matter and others 
     between our respective committees.
           Sincerely,
                                               Bennie G. Thompson,
     Chairman, Committee on Homeland Security.
                                  ____

                                         House of Representatives,


                                   Committee on the Judiciary,

                                 Washington, DC, December 9, 2022.
     Hon. Bennie G. Thompson,
     Chairman, Committee on Homeland Security,
     House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairman Thompson: I am writing to you concerning S. 
     2991, the ``Countering Human Trafficking Act of 2021.''
       I appreciate your willingness to work cooperatively on this 
     legislation. I recognize that the bill contains provisions 
     that fall within the jurisdiction of the Committee on 
     Homeland Security. I acknowledge that your Committee will not 
     formally consider S. 2991 and agree that the inaction of your 
     Committee with respect to the bill does not waive any future 
     jurisdictional claim over the matters contained in S. 2991 
     which fall within your Committee's Rule X jurisdiction.
       I will ensure that our exchange of letters is included in 
     the Congressional Record during floor consideration of the 
     bill. I appreciate your cooperation regarding this 
     legislation and look forward to continuing to work with you 
     as this measure moves through the legislative process.
           Sincerely,
                                                     Jerry Nadler,
                                                         Chairman.

  Mrs. SPARTZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, in October 2020, the Trump administration created the 
Center for Countering Human Trafficking, or CCHT, to consolidate all 
human trafficking-related DHS components into one law enforcement 
operations center. This bill would codify this operations center within 
DHS. Additionally, it would transfer the resources of the Blue Campaign 
to the CCHT.

                              {time}  1815

  The Blue Campaign is a national public awareness campaign to educate 
the public, law enforcement, and others about the indicators of human 
trafficking and how to respond to potential cases.
  Unfortunately, the Committee on the Judiciary has held no meetings on 
the CCHT or any of the various programs it operates. We should be 
evaluating the requirements and consequences of any piece of 
legislation in the committee of jurisdiction before it is brought to 
the floor. This is common sense.
  Members should have an opportunity to ask important questions and 
offer amendments to the bill before it is brought to the floor for a 
vote. Unfortunately, that didn't happen here.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. NADLER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentlewoman from 
Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee), a member of the Committee on the Judiciary.
  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman from the Committee 
on the Judiciary, the gentleman from New York, and the manager who is 
joining us on these bipartisan bills, which many of them had their 
origins in the House. I am delighted that the Senate was able to join 
us. These bills come under the Senate name because of the fact that we 
are working with the Senate on many of these similar bills in order to 
have them become law, because they are important.
  I rise now to support S. 2991, the Countering Human Trafficking Act. 
I thank the Senator from Michigan who offered this legislation, and it 
deals with making the Center for Countering Human Trafficking permanent 
and requires other changes to strengthen the center's contribution for 
the fight against human trafficking.
  Let me be very clear on the floor. Human trafficking is an epidemic. 
It is a pandemic. It is a scourge on the fabric of America. Human 
trafficking is one of the greatest threats to human rights in the 
United States. In 2020, 11,190 instances of potential human trafficking 
were reported to the United States National Human Trafficking Hotline, 
with at least 70 percent of these instances involving sex trafficking.
  The one thing about sex trafficking, it is more profitable than 
drugs, because you utilize, unfortunately, the tragic human being who 
has been made part of the bounty of your profit and recycle them over 
and over again, and they are young girls and boys in many instances.
  I will continue to advance and support legislation, like the bill 
before us today, as well as programming aimed at preventing human 
trafficking, protecting victims and survivors, as an estimated 25 
percent of human trafficking victims are reportedly in my home State of 
Texas at any given time, many of whom are minors.
  In our State of Texas, we have developed strong advocacy groups that 
fight against human trafficking and even have done something 
innovative, which means that we have called our sports arenas No 
Trafficking Zones.
  So I rise to support this legislation with over 5,359 trafficking 
victims and survivors identified through the hotline in 2019.
  I introduced H.R. 7566, the Stop Human Trafficking in School Zones 
Act, now known as the No Trafficking Zones Act. I pronounce today on 
the floor, this bill must pass. We must have the Senate agree to this 
bill so this can be a complement to the bill that we now have on the 
floor. We have done hard work. We have worked with the Senate. We want 
to make sure we get this bill passed.
  I rise also to support the bill previously discussed, the VAWA 
Technical Amendment Act of 2022. I thank Senator Hirono for this 
courageous legislation to protect Native Hawaiian victims and survivors 
of domestic violence, dating violence, sex violence, and others, to 
have access to the vital services of VAWA, which I think are extremely 
important.
  I also rise to support S. 5230, Billy's Law, or the Help Find the 
Missing Act. This is important. I have worked with missing and 
exploited children. This bipartisan legislation would fix the gaps in 
our Nation's databases of missing persons and unidentified remains, 
providing much-needed closure to the thousands of families who have 
endured the trauma of losing someone they love.
  Each year, more than 600,000 Americans are reported missing. While 
many are ultimately found, at least 22,000 are currently missing.
  I know that for a fact, Mr. Speaker, because I have dealt over the 
last month with a family whose loved one was missing, it was very 
painful, until tragically this person was found, and they were not 
found alive. But the pain of missing the person and not getting any 
response, this should be very helpful in at least giving comfort to 
families who are desperately in need of finding their loved one.
  So as we go forward on this legislation, I hope to continue the work 
that we need to do with the Senate to move forward.
  My final support is for S. 2899, the Prison Camera Reform Act of 
2021. It is bipartisan legislation that would require the Bureau of 
Prisons to reevaluate the security camera, land-mobile radio, and 
public address systems in use at BOP institutions and submit to 
Congress a report. This is very important for civil liberty, civil 
rights, and prison employees.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentlewoman has expired.
  Mr. NADLER. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 1 minute to the 
gentlewoman from Texas.
  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, the well-being of these prisoners is 
critical, along with protecting the safety, well-being, and civil 
rights of incarcerated people and prison employees, including 
correctional officers, medical personnel, and other staff.
  Let me just simply say, as I close, on the Bureau of Prisons, there 
is more work to be done. They have to do work on how they are treating 
women. There was a recent hearing that shows that women have been 
abused, sexually abused, in prisons, besides addressing other terrible 
issues, and that includes both prisoners and employees.
  In addition, the Bureau of Prisons has been known to not utilize the 
compassionate release. In fact, their percentages are disgraceful. Most 
of the prisoners have had to go outside with a lawyer. This is a law. 
They should use it.
  I hope that as we look at improving the cameras that will provide due 
process to these prisoners who are incarcerated, who are doing their 
time, they will also have a bureau that is responsible and sensitive to 
their responsibilities of incarceration but also fairness and due 
process.
  I thank my colleague for yielding, and I ask for support for all of 
the legislation that I just commented on, particularly the underlying 
legislation.

[[Page H9826]]

  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 2991, the ``Countering Human 
Trafficking Act of 2021,'' which would make the Center for Countering 
Human Trafficking permanent and require other changes to strengthen the 
Center's contributions to the fight against human trafficking.
  Human trafficking is one of the greatest threats to human rights in 
the United States. In 2020, 11,193 instances of potential human 
trafficking were reported to the United States National Human 
Trafficking Hotline with at least 70 percent of those instances 
involving sex trafficking.
  I will continue to advance and support legislation, like the bill 
before us today, as well as programming aimed at preventing human 
trafficking and protecting victims and survivors--as an estimated 25 
percent of human trafficking victims are reportedly in my home state of 
Texas at any given time--many of whom are minors.
  At least 5,359 of trafficking victims and survivors identified 
through the hotline in 2019 were under the age of 18, and in 2021, the 
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received more than 
17,200 reports of suspected child sex trafficking.
  That is why I introduced the H.R. 7566 Stop Human Trafficking in 
School Zones Act, also known as the No Trafficking Zones Act, to ensure 
that our nation's schools are a safe haven for students. I hope the 
Senate will take up and pass my bill so that we may get it to the 
president's desk before this Congress ends.
  While traffickers seek out vulnerable minors and adults--no person is 
truly safe from the schemes of charismatic traffickers bent on 
exploiting and destroying lives.
  Sadly, these statistics were only made worse by the COVID-19 
pandemic--during which traffickers took advantage of individuals and 
communities in crisis--further increasing the number of people at risk 
of falling victim to human trafficking.
  It is for all of these reasons that we must help maintain the 
momentum gained by the Center for Countering Human Trafficking in 
recent years.
  The Center is responsible for integrating the efforts of 16 different 
offices and components of the Department of Homeland Security into a 
cohesive strategy that supports law enforcement investigations and 
training, shields and supports victims, develops and enhances 
prevention strategies, and engages with the public.
  S. 2991 is a straightforward, bipartisan bill that would make the 
Center permanent while promoting stability and modernization and 
encouraging continued collaboration, growth, and innovation.
  I thank Senator Gary Peters and John Katko for their leadership on 
this bill and I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to 
support it.
  Mrs. SPARTZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. NADLER. Mr. Speaker, S. 2991 would not only provide permanency, 
increased coordination, and modernization to the Center for Countering 
Human Trafficking and the Department of Homeland Security, this bill 
would also promote growth within the center and bolster victim-centered 
counter human trafficking efforts.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support it, and I yield back the 
balance of my time.
  Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, every year, there are 
thousands of people who are victims of human trafficking in America.
  Over the past two decades, the number of trafficking victims has 
steadily and disturbingly increased.
  Human traffickers subject their victims to forced labor, debt 
bondage, or sexual exploitation by using violence, manipulation, or 
false promises.
  This criminal activity are not just human rights abuses; they 
compromise national and economic security and harm the well-being of 
communities everywhere.
  The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) leads the Federal 
Government's efforts to identify, disrupt, and dismantle complex 
domestic and cross-border human trafficking organizations.
  Given that multiple DHS components are involved in this effort, it is 
important that there be standing and robust coordination mechanisms to 
ensure the Department is working to combat this threat effectively and 
efficiently.
  That is why I support passage of the ``Countering Human Trafficking 
Act of 2021,'' the Senate version of legislation introduced by my 
friend and the ranking member of the Committee on Homeland Security, 
Representative John Katko, and which I am a proud original cosponsor.
  This legislation codifies DHS's Center for Countering Human 
Trafficking, a cross-component operations center that brings together 
16 DHS agencies and offices to ensure they are working collaboratively.
  As Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, I have long 
supported legislative efforts to improve the capabilities of U.S. law 
enforcement to disrupt and dismantle these dangerous human trafficking 
organizations.
  Furthermore, Ranking Member Katko and I led an effort last year to 
include important anti-human trafficking legislation in the ``National 
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022.''
  Known as the ``DHS Blue Campaign Enhancement Act,'' this legislation 
improved DHS's communication and education materials on human 
trafficking awareness and prevention.
  I am confident that S. 2991 will build upon the success of the Blue 
Campaign.
  Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to come together to stand 
against the exploitation of the most vulnerable among us and join me in 
supporting S. 2991.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from New York (Mr. Nadler) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, S. 2991.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________