[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 1]
[House]
[Page 1221]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                  HUMAN TRAFFICKING IS A HEINOUS CRIME

  (Mr. COSTELLO of Pennsylvania asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. COSTELLO of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, this week, we will take 
up legislation that helps combat one of the fastest growing, most 
despicable criminal enterprises in the world: human trafficking.
  In my home State of Pennsylvania, we had a reported 82 incidents of 
human trafficking cases last year and a reported 426 calls of human 
trafficking violations. I am pleased that late last year, Pennsylvania 
added itself as a State that enacted stricter human trafficking laws, 
as have most other States nationwide. Pennsylvania was also named as 
one of the five most improved States.
  Our work on this issue, though, is far from over. Legislation this 
week takes important steps in the right direction, by streamlining law 
enforcement resources. It enhances victim services, and it criminalizes 
those who knowingly advertise the commercial exploitation of children. 
It also allows Federal grants to support shelters for victims.
  I applaud the efforts of my colleagues in the House for raising 
awareness of this heinous crime, and I encourage bipartisan support of 
all of the human trafficking legislation that we are considering this 
week.

                          ____________________