Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Chair, I am pleased to support an amendment by my dear colleague and friend, Representative DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ, to increase the current level of funding to $20 million for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, ICE budget for the purpose of investigating child exploitation.

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency has played a key role in stopping child pornography from entering our country since the 1970's. With today's technology, abusers across the world can instantly trade and share lewd material of children with the greatest ease, unless we do something to stop it. Additionally, ICE is ramping up its efforts to stop traveling child sex offenders who enter and exit this country preying on innocent children. ICE's efforts are leading the way identifying and investigating these criminals and rescuing their victims.

Mr. Chair, this is a modest funding increase with the most important of purposes, protecting the world's most vulnerable citizens, the children. I wholeheartedly support this amendment, and urge my colleagues to do so as well.

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