[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 1]
[House]
[Page 1218]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      COMBATING HUMAN TRAFFICKING

  (Mr. FITZPATRICK asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. FITZPATRICK. Madam Speaker, January is Human Trafficking 
Awareness Month, and I am pleased that the House is taking up a number 
of bipartisan measures this week to help eradicate this disturbing 
crime and assist its victims.
  To most Americans, human trafficking is something that happens in 
faraway lands. Unfortunately, the reality hits much closer to home. 
Right now, over 300,000 young Americans are in danger of falling victim 
to this fast-growing criminal enterprise. As both a member of the Human 
Trafficking Task Force and a representative for anti-trafficking 
advocates and organizations in my district in Pennsylvania, I am well 
aware of the devastating impact of this modern-day slavery here in our 
Nation and in our communities back home.
  But 2015 can be the year we take significant steps to end this 
scourge. The work on the ground in Bucks and Montgomery Counties by 
organizations such as Worthwhile Wear, The Well, Network of Victim 
Assistance, as well as faith-based groups, law enforcement, and 
concerned citizens is making an impact and increasing awareness and 
strengthening our response locally.
  The legislation under consideration this week on Capitol Hill allows 
this Congress to work together to ensure that we can support those 
impacted by this crime and combat and ultimately defeat human 
trafficking in our Nation and, hopefully, around the world.

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