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Madam Speaker, the statistics associated with human trafficking are nothing short of staggering. Studies have estimated that it is a nearly $10 billion industry in the United States, and it affects over 300,000 young men and women that are victims of human trafficking. The human toll is real and significant. The SAVE Act changes the idea that the Internet can be used as a marketplace for those purposes.
The SAVE Act does what 47 State attorneys general have done and asked us to do. The SAVE Act makes it a Federal crime to knowingly advertise for the sexual exploitation of minors and trafficking victims.
While this is not the end of human trafficking and sexual exploitation of minors, it is a necessary and long overdue step.
I want to commend my colleague, Mrs. Wagner, for her leadership on this very important issue and for constructing a very thoughtful piece of legislation.
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