[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 3]
[Senate]
[Pages 3098-3099]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




        EFFORTS TO FIGHT HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND OPIOID ADDICTION

  Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, I was disturbed to hear Senator McConnell's 
remarks on the floor last week questioning my commitment to supporting 
survivors of human trafficking. I think anyone who follows our efforts 
to stop this terrible crime knows the ridiculousness of that claim. I 
was particularly surprised to hear it coming from Senator McConnell 
who, along with Senator Grassley and other Republicans, voted against 
reauthorizing the Trafficking Victims Protection Act and the Violence 
Against Women Act--two watershed laws that changed the way this country 
approaches human trafficking and other violence against women.
  I am deeply committed to supporting victims of crime and have been 
for my entire career. I started out as a prosecutor, and I have never 
forgotten the terrible crime scenes I saw. Those images serve as a 
constant reminder of how important it is to do all we can to support 
survivors and their families. And those efforts must include a 
commitment to providing real money--not

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just lip service--to support survivors as they rebuild their lives.
  That is why last Congress, as chairman of the Judiciary Committee, I 
led the effort to reauthorize the landmark Trafficking Victims 
Protection Act. That historic, bipartisan legislation--and the funds it 
authorized--signaled our country's commitment to ending all forms of 
human trafficking, both here at home and around the world. I also led 
the effort to pass the historic Leahy-Crapo Violence Against Women Act, 
which included vital updates to help women on college campuses, tribal 
lands, immigrants, and new protections for those in the LGBT community 
to ensure that every victim in need gets the lifesaving services they 
deserve. These impactful laws were enacted 3 years ago, and they are 
making a real difference in peoples' lives. Senator McConnell may have 
forgotten about what we did in 2013 to greatly expand protections for 
victims of violence, but I have not. I will continue fighting for our 
most vulnerable populations and work across the aisle to make real 
progress.
  I was glad to see the Senate return its attention to the issue of 
human trafficking this Congress with the Justice for Victims of 
Trafficking Act, which I supported. However, the Senate should have 
also passed my bipartisan Runaway and Homeless Youth and Trafficking 
Prevention Act, critical legislation to prevent trafficking in the 
first place. That bill would authorize funding to provide shelter and 
services for some of our most vulnerable kids, kids who are literally 
walking prey for traffickers. Unfortunately, Senators McConnell and 
Grassley opposed that effort. Republicans cannot pretend to stand up 
for the rights of trafficking victims while leaving these children 
behind. They had a chance to help and they said no. That is not 
leadership.
  Senator McConnell also suggested that I had somehow ignored the 
opioid epidemic gripping our Nation and my State of Vermont and let the 
Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act ``languish'' in the Judiciary 
Committee. Again, anyone who knows my record is aware of how focused I 
am on helping ensure that communities are getting the resources they 
need to respond to this devastating problem. I have been holding Senate 
Judiciary Committee field hearings on heroin and opioid addiction since 
2008. Long before the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act, CARA, 
was introduced, I worked to deliver funding--real dollars--for 
antiheroin task forces across the country. And when we did first 
introduce the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act in September 
2014, I was an original cosponsor of that legislation and have worked 
tirelessly to see it enacted.
  At the same time, I have worked to change the focus from imposing 
harsh and arbitrary mandatory minimum sentences on those who abuse 
drugs to actually providing treatment. I know that bumper sticker 
slogans and the ``war on drugs'' are failed approaches.
  It is unfortunate that Republicans in the Senate are unwilling to put 
real money behind CARA to ensure its programs will succeed. Just last 
week, Senator McConnell led the Republican opposition to Senator 
Shaheen's amendment that would have provided emergency supplemental 
appropriations. Ending this crisis is going to cost money, and it is 
disappointing that Senator McConnell and other Republicans are not 
willing to dedicate the resources that are so desperately needed by law 
enforcement and health care providers throughout this county.
  Passing one bill in one Congress is not the answer to addressing the 
very serious problems facing our communities. It takes a sustained 
commitment. I am proud of my record to support victims of human 
trafficking and communities struggling to respond to the opioid 
epidemic. Unfortunately, too often, Republicans have blocked efforts to 
provide real funding for these priorities. I will not stop working 
until we are able to end these scourges.

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