[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 1]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 483-484]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




              SAVE WOMEN'S LIVES: COMBAT HUMAN TRAFFICKING

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, January 10, 2014

  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, tomorrow, January 11, is Human 
Trafficking Awareness Day--a day on which we remember that more than 20 
million human beings toil and suffer as slaves across the globe. A day 
to rededicate ourselves to creating an environment of zero tolerance 
for human trafficking in all its forms.
  When I first introduced the Trafficking Victims Protection Act in 
1998, the legislation was met with a wall of skepticism and opposition. 
People both inside of government and out thought the bold new strategy 
that included sheltering, asylum and other protections for the victims, 
long jail sentences and asset confiscation for the traffickers, and 
tough sanctions for governments that failed to meet minimum standards, 
was merely a solution in search of a problem.

[[Page 484]]

  For most people at that time, the term trafficking applied almost 
exclusively to illicit drugs or weapons. Reports of vulnerable 
persons--especially women and children--being reduced to commodities 
for sale were often met with surprise, incredulity or indifference. It 
took two years to overcome opponents and muster the votes for passage.
  Now, after the enactment of my Victims of Trafficking and Violence 
Protection Act (P.L. 106-386), and subsequent reauthorizations of the 
original landmark law, we see strong efforts to fight trafficking at 
both the federal and state level.
  This year New Jersey ranked first in the country--with one other 
state--for enacting aggressive anti-human trafficking laws--i.e. we are 
leading the nation both on helping the trafficking victims, who are 
mostly women and children, and on cracking down on the thugs who coerce 
them into this modern day slavery.
  Being first in the nation is a distinction of which New Jersey can be 
proud especially as we apply our strong anti-trafficking laws for Super 
Bowl XLVIII.
  Along with welcoming enthusiastic fans, New Jersey is also preparing 
for an influx of traffickers who will bring with them trafficking 
victims in an attempt to cash in on the Super Bowl crowds.
  The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children reports that 
more than 10,000 prostituted women and girls were moved to Miami for 
the Super Bowl in 2010.
  According to Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott, the Super Bowl can 
be described as ``the single largest human trafficking incident in the 
United States.'' A 2011 study conducted by Traffick911 with law 
enforcement agencies found that online escort ads increased 
dramatically in Dallas from 135 in mid-January to 367 as the Super Bowl 
approached. One hundred thirty three arrests were made for underage 
prostitution (a key indicator for trafficking) in Dallas during the 
Super Bowl 2011.
  Capt. Doug Cain, Louisiana State Police spokesman, said after the 
2013 Super Bowl in New Orleans, ``Any time you have a large influx of 
tourists in town and they're spending a lot of money, there's a 
criminal element that moves in to take advantage of that.''
  In light of this history, New Jersey's location on the I-95 corridor, 
and easy access to bus stations, trains and airports, the state can 
expect to be a target for an influx of prostituted women and girls at 
Super Bowl XLVIII. Still, if New Jersey properly prepares and trains--
promoting ``situational awareness''--it can undercut traffickers and 
help save their victims.
  For several years now, I have pushed efforts to enhance training not 
only for law enforcement but for tourism personnel such as hospitality 
industry workers and transportation operators--bus drivers and station 
operators, train conductors, taxi drivers, trucking associations, and 
airline industry personnel.
  In 2010, I chaired a conference--focused on the airline industry--
bringing together the relevant U.S. agencies, such as Customs and 
Border Patrol (CBP), various U.S. airlines, and nongovernmental 
organizations--to train commercial carrier employees in the 
identification of trafficking victims.
  Best estimates show that every year 600,000 to 800,000 trafficking 
victims are moved across international borders. Millions more victims 
are moved within national borders. Speakers at my conference explained 
how flight attendants were the ``first line of defense'' in the fight 
against human trafficking.
  The federal government has responded with the Blue Lightning 
Initiative--a voluntary training program in which airlines can 
collaborate with the Departments of Transportation and Homeland 
Security and the CBP. They work together to help train flight crews and 
airline personnel about common signs of human trafficking and how they 
can safely report suspected human trafficking cases.
  With minimal modifications, the training is easily adaptable to 
professionals in other transportation industries as well as workers in 
the hotel industry.
  The New Jersey Human Trafficking Task Force, which was originally 
launched and funded through a program created by the Trafficking 
Victims Protection Act and its reauthorizations, is the key anti-
trafficking coordinating agency for New Jersey. In anticipation of the 
Super Bowl, the Task Force has taken a hands-on approach expanding the 
reach of New Jersey's anti-human trafficking law enforcement unit as 
well as victim services.
  They have also increased print and electronic public service 
announcements and training programs and symposiums for law enforcement 
officials, health care workers, lawyers, transportation workers and 
hoteliers.
  The New Jersey Department of Homeland Security and Preparedness has 
also stepped up to combat trafficking at the Super Bowl, distributing 
flyers to EMS, fire department, law enforcement, and other emergency 
care professions so that these front line professionals will know when 
to be concerned that someone is a trafficking victims and how to 
respond appropriately.
  By the end of January, New Jersey is expected to have thousands of 
law enforcement personnel and civilians with the goal of not only 
ramping up New Jersey's anti-trafficking efforts for the Super Bowl, 
but using the event to fully institutionalize reforms going forward--so 
that more women and children will be protected in the future.
  This concept has proven straightforward, effective--and it is 
catching on. In December, the Organization for Security and Cooperation 
in Europe (OSCE), which is made up of 57 countries from Europe and 
North America, endorsed my plan to make anti-trafficking training for 
airline employees, other public and commercial carriers, as well as 
hotel workers a primary goal in the international strategy to combat 
human trafficking. In an earlier session, the OSCE parliamentary 
assembly adopted my resolution to implement such trainings in each 
member country.
  Any country that competes to host the next major sporting event must 
be fully aware of the human trafficking vulnerabilities associated with 
such events and the best practices for protecting and rescuing the 
victims. The Super Bowl--and every other major sporting event 
worldwide--should not have a dark side of human trafficking, plain and 
simple.
  This year, let us mark Human Trafficking Awareness Day by remembering 
that trafficking awareness training for individuals likely to interact 
with trafficking victims in their daily jobs--and being aware 
ourselves--can create an environment of zero tolerance for human 
trafficking. Awareness can and will save lives.

                          ____________________