[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 1]
[House]
[Page 1353]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      COMBATING HUMAN TRAFFICKING

  (Mr. POLIQUIN asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. POLIQUIN. Mr. Speaker, those of us who have been blessed with 
children in the back of our minds always fear for their health and 
their safety. Maine is one of the safest States in America. Even so, 
our families have not been immune to the horror of child kidnapping, 
rape, and sex trafficking.
  Two years ago, Maine State legislator Amy Volk had the courage to 
lead a very painful public discussion about the risk of human 
trafficking in Maine. Her persistence resulted in the awareness of this 
horrific violence waged against our children living in Maine and those 
being brought to our State.
  Yesterday, I was proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with my 
Republican and Democrat colleagues in the House to unanimously pass the 
first of a dozen bills to fight the scourge of human trafficking in 
America.
  As parents and as public officials, we owe it to our families to help 
our States and our local communities with stronger law enforcement and 
tougher criminal penalties for those who prey upon our children.
  I ask our colleagues in the Senate to now do the same and to help rid 
this land of the unthinkable horrors of human trafficking.

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