[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 1]
[House]
[Pages 584-585]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        HUMAN TRAFFICKING MONTH

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. Farenthold) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. FARENTHOLD. Mr. Speaker, this year, Texas has the great honor of 
hosting the Super Bowl. In just a couple of weeks, Houston will host 
the largest event of the year in the United States with approximately 
100,000 people expected to attend and more than 100 million expected to 
tune in on television.
  The Department of Homeland Security calls the Super Bowl the most 
attractive target for those who want to commit harm. Thanks to 
partnerships between local, state, and Federal officials, K9s will be 
deployed for bomb detections, officers on the lookout for suspicious 
activity, and air security will be ramped up, to name just a few of the 
precautions.
  Law enforcement is doing a great job of reminding everyone who plans 
to attend: if you see something, say something. Since it is January and 
it is Human Trafficking Awareness Month, I want to remind everyone that 
``see something, say something'' doesn't just apply to unattended 
backpacks.
  During a recent meeting on Capitol Hill, DHS reminded all of us that 
events such as the Super Bowl bring the good, the bad, and the ugly. 
While a majority of the attendees are coming to have a good time and 
with good intentions, the few who do not can disrupt and ruin many 
lives.
  So I ask those who attend to help us in keeping Texas one of the 
safest and best States in the country by reporting anything to law 
enforcement they may believe to be suspicious and allow trained 
officers to investigate. This includes suspected human trafficking.
  According to the Polaris Project, warning signs of someone being a 
victim of human trafficking include not being allowed to leave or come 
and go as they wish; appearing malnourished; not being in control of 
his or her own identification documents; not being allowed to speak for 
themselves; and showing signs of physical abuse, torture, or physical 
restraint.
  While law enforcement will be ramping up efforts to reach out to 
victims and give them the resources they need to get help, it lies on 
each and every one of us to be aware of our surroundings and help when 
someone is in trouble or something is not right.
  It is important to remember that human trafficking doesn't just 
happen during large sporting events. It happens every day, often going 
unseen. While events like the Super Bowl help bring it to our 
attention, it is important to remember that, when the event is over, 
men and women, boys and girls are still being victimized each and every 
day.
  UNICEF has estimated there were 1.5 million victims of human 
trafficking in the United States alone in 2014, and that number soars 
to 27 million worldwide. This is a problem that is going to continue to 
need our attention 365 days a year. We have got to work together to end 
this form of human slavery.


                      ObamaCare Repeal and Replace

  Mr. FARENTHOLD: Mr. Speaker, I spend most of my time, when Congress 
is not in session, back home in Texas. I hear over and over again from 
constituents: ObamaCare is not working for me. Premiums are too 
expensive and deductibles are too high.
  That is just not a problem in Texas. ObamaCare is failing nationwide. 
It is now the unaffordable, no-care act. That is why I support 
repealing and replacing it. The House will set up the framework to do 
just that with the budget bill we expect to pass this week. It sets up 
budget reconciliation that will be the vessel for beginning to fix this 
failing law.
  I am looking forward to a healthcare system that allows individual 
consumers more choice in the plan that they pick, a healthcare system 
that will return choice to the American consumer while ensuring that 
people can't be turned away or lose coverage due to age, medical 
condition, or circumstances.
  I also look forward to a healthcare system that protects Medicare for 
senior citizens while ensuring Medicare is financially solvent and will 
be there for future generations.
  I also look forward to a healthcare system that is free of burdensome 
bureaucracy and a tax system that hampers the development of new 
medical devices and therapies, discourages savings, and penalizes 
employers and the American people if they don't do Uncle Sam's bidding.
  I have heard from restauranteurs in my area. In Port Aransas, I ran 
into a guy at the airport. He said: I want to expand my restaurant, but 
it will put me over the limit for employees and put me under ObamaCare. 
I just can't afford it.
  So he chose not to expand. He wasn't able to hire more people, give 
people jobs.
  Another restaurateur in Corpus Christi said: You know, I am over the 
limit now, but I am only hiring part-time people. I can't afford the 
coverage, and I can't afford to raise prices because the market just 
won't bear more expensive meals.
  This means that people who could have gotten full benefits under a 
different plan are having to suffer with no benefits and work two part-
time jobs rather than a full-time job.
  It is time we repeal and replace ObamaCare and replace it with a 
healthcare plan that meets people's needs, not Washington, D.C.'s 
needs. You can read more about the House plan at Better.GOP.

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