[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 1]
[House]
[Page 650]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         SHAME SEX TRAFFICKERS

  (Mr. POE of Texas asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute.)
  Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, human trafficking victims are slaves 
living in fear, totally losing their identity.
  On this National Human Trafficking Awareness Day, it is time to 
publicly expose the traffickers. As a former judge in Texas, I used 
public punishment to keep criminals from returning to my courtroom and 
to discourage other criminals from committing more crimes.
  This form of public shaming can be successful in combating human 
trafficking. That is why, today, I introduced the SHAME Act. This bill 
will give Federal judges the ability to publish the names and 
photographs of both convicted human traffickers and the buyers of 
trafficked victims. Buyers will no longer be able to hide in plain 
sight under a cloak of anonymity.
  My hope is that the SHAME Act strikes fear in those who think about 
purchasing young women for sex. Perhaps the thought of having their 
face on a billboard will make the scoundrels think twice about 
participating in the modern-day slave trade. It is time to shame these 
horrible humans out of business.
  And that is just the way it is.

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