By Mr. WYDEN (for himself and Mr. CORNYN):
S. 596. A bill to establish a grant program to benefit victims of sex trafficking, and for other purposes; to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Mr. WYDEN. Mr. President, I am pleased to join today with my partner, Senator Cornyn, to reintroduce the Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking Deterrence and Victims Support Act. This bi-partisan legislation, which was approved unanimously by the Senate in the 111th Congress, just a few months ago, as S.2925, is the first comprehensive approach to combating the terrible and fast-growing criminal enterprise of trafficking of children for sex right here in the U.S.
Many people don't have any idea how many children in the U.S. are forced into sexual slavery. It is truly a moral abomination that an estimated 100,000 minors are trafficked for sex in the U.S. each year. The reason that this crime has reached epidemic proportions is simple: the resources are not in place to help innocent victims escape from trafficking, nor to punish the violent, ruthless pimps who are trafficking them.
In talking to law enforcement officials in Oregon, I learned that gang members, pimps, and traffickers have figured out that trafficking a person is a lot less risky, and just as profitable, as trafficking drugs. A pimp can make $200,000 a year on one trafficking victim. And they know they can exploit vulnerable minors and not get caught because law enforcement lacks the training and resources to stop this crime. The Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking Deterrence and Victims Support Act aims to turn that around.
This bill would, for the first time, provide a comprehensive solution for addressing this problem. The bill would establish a pilot project of six block grants in locations in different regions of the country with significant sex trafficking activity. The block grants would be awarded by the Department of Justice to state or local government applicants that have developed a workable, comprehensive plan to combat sex trafficking. The grants would require a multi-disciplinary approach to addressing trafficking problems. Applicants for the grants would have to demonstrate they can work together with local, State, and Federal law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, and social service providers to achieve the goals of the bill.
Government agencies that get the grants would be required to create shelters where trafficking victims would be safe from their pimps, and where they could start getting treatment for the trauma they have suffered. The shelters would provide counseling, legal services, and mental and physical health services, including treatment for substance abuse, sexual abuse, and trauma-informed care. The shelters would also provide food, clothing, and other necessities, as well as education and training to help victims get their lives on track.
The bill would also provide training for law enforcement officers. I worked with some of the pioneering officers out there like Doug Justus in Portland and Byron Fassett in Dallas who really understand this issue. But, unfortunately, what Doug and Byron have told me is that most officers don't have the training to recognize a sex trafficking victim and don't know how to handle those victims in a way that will allow them to feel like they can turn away from their pimp. Without this training--and without shelters--there's no way to begin building criminal cases against the pimps, and no way to get these victims to come to court to testify in criminal trials.
That is why it is going to take a comprehensive plan to finally turn the tables on pimps. Without trained officers and service providers, and available shelters, there is no support and safe place for children who are being trafficked. Right now there are only between 50 and 70 shelter beds in the entire country for minor victims of sex trafficking. That is unacceptable. This bill will change that, and begin to provide hope for trafficking victims.
Another serious aspect of this problem that this bill would address is the issue of repeat runaways. Evidence shows that the children at greatest risk of becoming involved in sex trafficking are kids who have run away from home over and over again. Many of them are children who have been in the foster care system. The problem is that there is often no report made when a child runs away, and thus no way to know when a child is a repeat runaway and at greatest risk.
This bill would strengthen reporting requirements for runaway or missing children, and encourage the FBI to enhance the National Crime Information Center, NCIC, database, which is where missing child reports are filed. Doing so would give law enforcement officers better information on the children at greatest risk by flagging repeat runaways.
Before I conclude, I want to express that this is a very personal issue with very personal consequences. I had a chance to feel this personal heartbreak last year when I accompanied police officers along 82nd Avenue in my hometown of Portland. I will never forget a 15-year-old girl working out there with the tools of the trade. She had a cell phone to stay in constant contact with her pimp and report how much money she had made. She had a 15-inch butcher knife because she knew she needed to protect herself. She had a purse full of condoms, because she knew she couldn't stop until she'd had more customers during the course of the evening.
The fact that there are thousands of young girls like her out on the streets, all across the country, every single day, is nothing short of a national emergency. This bill sends a clear and powerful message to the victims of this abuse, that somebody cares about her health and wellbeing. That is why I hope Congress will act quickly to provide help for young girls like the one I met by passing this bill.
Last year, this legislation passed the Senate by unanimous consent and the House by voice vote. Unfortunately, the bill passed the House shortly before Congress adjourned, and there was no time to resolve the minor differences between the two chambers' bills. But I will do everything I can to see that this bill moves forward promptly so that sex trafficking victims can begin to receive the care they need and deserve.
Finally, I want to acknowledge the efforts of the non-profit and faith-based organizations in working on this issue. There are a lot of deeply committed groups and individuals working to help victims of sex trafficking. Their good work has laid the foundation for our efforts here in the Congress.
I want to acknowledge the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, the FBI's Innocence Lost Project, Polaris Project, Shared Hope International, ECPAT-USA, Rebecca Project for Human Rights, Soroptimists, and the YWCA; and there are many other fine groups that deserve thanks.
I also want to recognize the work of champions--like Ambassador Luis CdeBaca, filmmaker Libby Spears, and local officials like Multnomah County Commissioner Diane McKeel, who have raised awareness and made it their priority to fight this horrific crime. The effort to save children from sex trafficking would not be possible without the involvement of all of these groups and individuals.
Again, I want to thank Senator Cornyn for his dedication and cooperation in combating sex trafficking. I am also indebted also to the members of the Judiciary Committee who played a constructive role in shaping the bill; and I particularly thank Chairman Leahy, Senator Sessions, Senator Durbin, Senator Franken, and Senator Coburn for their input and work to move this legislation forward in the last Congress. Finally, I want to acknowledge our House partners, Representatives Carolyn Maloney and Chris Smith, who introduced companion legislation last Congress. I look forward to working with them again to quickly move this legislation forward to passage.
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