[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 1]
[House]
[Page 396]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        HUMAN TRAFFICKING MONTH

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
California (Ms. Bass) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. BASS. Mr. Speaker, January is Human Trafficking Month, and I rise 
today to continue to be a voice for the countless victims of human 
trafficking in the United States.
  If we, as Members of Congress, want to truly address the sex 
trafficking epidemic, we must face the facts. We must acknowledge and 
address the direct link between children in the foster care system and 
children who become victims of sex trafficking. For far too many 
children, the foster care system is an unwitting gateway to sex 
trafficking. This is a nationwide issue that requires a Federal 
response.
  In 2010, 59 percent of the children arrested on prostitution-related 
charges in L.A. County were in the foster care system. A 2007 report 
from the U.S. Department of Justice found that 85 percent of identified 
child sex trafficking victims in New York State also had contact with 
the child welfare system. Further, according to the FBI, an estimated 
70 percent of child sex trafficking victims in Florida had histories 
with the child welfare system.
  Children in the foster care system are our children. When they fall 
victim to trafficking, it means that all of us have failed. To help all 
victims of trafficking, including foster youth, we must change our 
mindset on how we address this horrific crime.
  A child who cannot consent to sex should never be called a 
prostitute. The men who prey on them are not johns; they are child 
molesters.
  ``T'' Ortiz Walker Pettigrew is a former foster care youth who became 
a sex trafficking victim. When she was 15 and still in foster care, 
``T,'' as she is called, was arrested for prostitution. While serving 
time in juvenile hall, she discovered that more than half of the girls 
serving with her were also charged with solicitation and, like her, 
forced to sell themselves.
  She described her treatment in juvenile hall as how you would treat a 
dog in a kennel. She was put in a box and kept waiting. She was treated 
like a criminal and did not receive any counseling or support services. 
Because she was punished and not helped, she was arrested again when 
she was 16 years old, and she spent her 17th birthday in juvenile hall.
  I am grateful that she found the strength and support to escape from 
her pimp. She now uses her voice to advocate for sex trafficking 
victims and to urge policymakers at all levels of government to do our 
jobs to prevent young girls from becoming sex trafficking victims.
  Because of actions from women like ``T,'' local officials in Los 
Angeles have changed their approach to addressing this issue. They 
haven't realized that arresting the victims won't solve the problem.
  Last year, L.A. County Sheriff Jim McDonell announced that his 
department will immediately stop arresting children on prostitution 
charges. This announcement was coupled by the L.A. County Board of 
Supervisors adopting a countywide effort to ensure that child victims 
of sex trafficking are truly treated as victims and receive the support 
services they need instead of punishment.
  Last year, this Congress came together as Democrats and Republicans 
to pass comprehensive human trafficking legislation, but our work does 
not end when the bill is signed. We must also use our positions to urge 
local officials in our districts to follow the best practices used 
around the country.
  To truly make a difference this Human Trafficking Awareness Month, I 
urge all Members to reach out to their local sheriffs and local elected 
officials and urge them to learn from Los Angeles and begin treating 
sex trafficking victims as victims. Although the legislation is a great 
step forward, we should also use the power of our voices and our 
positions to ensure that more girls get the help they need instead of 
being treated as criminals.

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