[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 1]
[House]
[Page 326]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   HUMAN TRAFFICKING AWARENESS MONTH

  (Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in 
recognition of National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month, 
which is intended to draw attention to a problem which is sadly still a 
concern across this Nation and across the globe.
  According to the National Human Trafficking Resource Center, 
authorities have investigated more than 500 cases of suspected human 
trafficking just in Pennsylvania since 2000, including 75 cases 
reported in 2015 alone.
  Human trafficking has been called one of the fastest growing criminal 
industries in the world. The statistics and recent reports indicate 
that these types of cases are on the rise across Pennsylvania, 
including those involving victims who are still teenagers.
  I greatly appreciate the work of organizations in Pennsylvania's 
Fifth Congressional District and across the State in assisting those 
hurt in human trafficking.
  Last year, I supported the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act, 
which was signed into law by President Barack Obama. This legislation 
is aimed at addressing the rise in human trafficking and to improve 
services for survivors.
  I will continue to work in the House towards eliminating this 
disturbing behavior.

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