Justice For Victims of Trafficking Act of 2015

Floor Speech

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Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, my substitute amendment, No. 301, brings together three very important bills that provide a comprehensive approach to preventing human trafficking and help survivors rebuild their lives. First, it includes the Leahy-Collins-Murkowski-Ayotte amendment to protect runaway and homeless youth from trafficking. Second, it includes the Klobuchar-Cornyn bill as reported in February by the Judiciary Committee. The safe harbor bill encourages States to treat victims of trafficking as victims and not--as oftentimes they are treated--as criminals. Finally, it includes the Cornyn-Klobuchar bill, S. 178, but without the divisive language that limits victims' services, which has held us up so long.

My amendment came about as a response to the request of survivors and the dedicated people who work with them, the people who actually see this day-by-day, for whom it is not a theoretical thing, but is an actual day-by-day crisis. They have urged us to remove the unnecessary and harmful provision which stalled this bill for weeks.

Congress has a long history of passing legislation to address human trafficking. We did so in the Leahy-Crapo Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act, which included the reauthorization of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act. We consistently have addressed human trafficking legislation without abortion politics being inserted in the discussion. My amendment would return us to the path of the bipartisan bills we passed in years past. Importantly, my amendment is going to make sure we are preventing human trafficking in the first place.

It is one thing to work with children after they become victims. I think we would all agree it is better if we can
help prevent them from becoming victims. The best way to do that is to support runaway and homeless kids. Without a safe place to sleep, these children and teens are exceptionally vulnerable to human traffickers. The Runaway and Homeless Youth Act, first passed in 1974, funds tried-and-true programs to help these youth stabilize their lives. When a homeless or runaway teen is looking for a place to stay and there is nothing available, they sometimes resort to desperate measures. They are picked up almost at once by sex traffickers and exploited.

The substitute amendment reauthorizes and strengthens the programs that have worked ever since 1974. It adds training for service providers so we can better identify victims of trafficking and refer them to the appropriate resources. It includes language to prevent discrimination against homeless youth based on their sexual orientation or gender identification.

We found, in the testimony before the Judiciary Committee, a growing number of homeless and runaway youth identify as LGBT. Many of them have actually been thrown out of their homes for who they are.

I am a parent; I am a grandparent. I find this heartbreaking to me that any child, any child for whatever reason would be thrown out of their home. We have to ensure that these vulnerable children who have already been rejected do not face rejection again because of how they look or dress or whom they love.

I urge all Senators to support this amendment. This is a moral issue. If we are serious about listening to survivors and responding to their needs and if we are serious about preventing human trafficking and protecting vulnerable children in the first place, this amendment is the strongest option before us.

We should be judged by what we do for the most vulnerable among us. The combination of these three bills should bring us together. I urge the Senate to support this comprehensive substitute.

Several of us in this body, both parties, have had the privilege to serve law enforcement before coming here, as I did. I said many times on this floor that I still have nightmares today, 40 years later, from some of the scenes I saw back then. I could arrest and prosecute these people who harm these youth, but we could never give back to the youth who they were before they were harmed.

Unfortunately, what I have nightmares about happens in so many more places. In the distinguished Presiding Officer's own home State, as well as the home States of every single Member of this body, it is happening today. These are the most vulnerable of our citizens. We as Senators should help protect them.

Mr. President, I yield the floor.

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