SENATE RESOLUTION 385--SUPPORTING THE OBSERVATION OF ``NATIONAL TRAFFICKING AND MODERN SLAVERY PREVENTION MONTH'' DURING THE PERIOD BEGINNING ON JANUARY 1, 2018, AND ENDING ON FEBRUARY 1, 2018, TO...
Dianne Feinstein (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2018-1-29

I rise to introduce a resolution in observance of National Trafficking and Modern Slavery Prevention Month, to bring awareness to the terrible scourge of modern slavery and human trafficking around the world. prgtoken In 2016 alone, the National Human Trafficking Hotline received 26,727 calls to report incidents of human trafficking in the United States. From those calls, 7,793 victims were identified. These individuals were trafficked across various sectors, economies, and geographical regions under conditions of force, fraud, or coercion. prgtoken The United States must not turn a blind eye to this scourge. The State Department estimates that 14,500 to 17,500 people are trafficked into the U.S. each year. Amongst federally identified trafficking victims in 2016, the top three countries of origin include the United States. prgtoken Importantly, more than a quarter of the trafficking cases identified by the National Human Trafficking Hotline involved U.S. citizen victims. According to a recent study by Polaris, modern slavery and trafficking operates throughout a range of U.S. industries including our factories, our agricultural centers, as well as our hospitality and domestic work businesses. prgtoken We must all, as Americans, raise our awareness of this pernicious crime that often goes unnoticed and undetected in our communities. prgtoken Part of the reason it is undetected is that traffickers prey on vulnerable populations--like those in the juvenile justice system--and use numerous physical and psychological techniques to control their victims behind closed doors: isolating them from the public, exploiting language and cultural barriers, and threatening victims with violence. prgtoken These techniques are specifically designed to prevent victims from coming forward to authorities and they are extremely effective. This is why we must do better. We must do everything we can to raise public awareness so that we can all recognize the warning signs. prgtoken I have been heartened that in recent years, various private entities, such as hotels, the travel industry, and recently those in the convenience-store industry, have all come together to commit to training their employees to better detect human trafficking and modern slavery. prgtoken In addition to raising awareness, January is also a month to renew our commitment to enforce--and enact laws to help eradicate modern slavery and trafficking. prgtoken Back in 2000, Congress enacted the Trafficking Victims Protection Act, which marked a strong commitment to prosecute traffickers and better aid victims. This Congress, Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley and I authored the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2017, which was complemented by the Cornyn-Klobuchar Abolish Human Trafficking Act of 2017, to update our trafficking laws to better aid victims. prgtoken These bills passed the Senate in November, and the House should adopt these measures quickly