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Ms. COLLINS. Thank you, Mr. President.
First, let me commend Senator Cornyn and Senator Klobuchar for the
work they have done on this antitrafficking bill.
This is, in fact, a horrendous crime. Just a few months ago in my
home State, in Bangor, a couple was arrested for allegedly trafficking
a 13-year-old girl. That is what we are talking about, and that is why
this legislation is so important.
I am proud to be a cosponsor of the bill, and I commend Senator
Cornyn and Senator Klobuchar and others for working so hard on it.
The antitrafficking bill deals with the law enforcement piece of this
horrendous problem. But we also need to pay attention to prevention
programs. That is why this afternoon we will vote on a proposal that
Senator Leahy and I, along with Senators Heitkamp, Ayotte, Murkowski,
and Baldwin, have put forth to reauthorize the Runaway and Homeless
Youth Act programs, which already have expired. They expired in 2013.
These are absolutely critical programs for preventing homeless youth
and runaway youth from ending up in the hands of sex traffickers. The
runaway and homeless youth programs are comprised of three programs:
the Street Outreach Program, the Basic Center Program, and the
Transitional Living Program. They have helped thousands of our homeless
youth meet their immediate needs and provided long-term residential
services for those who, sadly, cannot be reunited with their families.
The amendment that we are offering complements the underlying bill by
addressing prevention, intervention, and recovery service for
trafficking victims, particularly among the most vulnerable
population--our homeless youth.
According to a 2013 report by the Institute of Medicine and the
National Research Council, homelessness is one of the most common risk
factors for sex trafficking. Without access to food, shelter, and
social supports, homeless young people often turn to what is termed
``survival sex;'' that is, a way to trade sex for a place to sleep, for
food, and for other basic necessities.
Another recent report found that one in four homeless youth are
victims of sex trafficking or engage in survival sex. Our amendment
strengthens the existing programs by ensuring that service providers
know how to identify trafficking victims and give these youth the
support they need. In many cases these services can prevent these
homeless and runaway youth from becoming victims in the first place.
In Maine, our homeless shelters are critical partners in the fight to
end human trafficking. In Portland, for example, the Preble Street
Resource Center has used Runaway and Homeless Youth Act resources to
connect youth who need food, shelter, health services, and educational
support. The Preble Street Anti-trafficking Coalition is currently
helping approximately 50 trafficking victims whose ages range from 14
to 42. They enable them to start new lives.
New Beginnings, a great program in Lewiston, ME, and the Shaw House
in Bangor, ME, are other organizations that have successfully leveraged
Federal grants from the Runaway and Homeless Youth Program to provide
shelter and services to homeless youth in my State. With this kind of
support, young people can make their way off the street and away from
criminals who will exploit them at a time when they are at their most
vulnerable.
There are more than 1.6 million homeless teens in our country--a
truly astonishing number. A growing number of these homeless youth
identify themselves as LGBT. It is estimated that up to 40 percent of
runaway or homeless youth are LGBT. Some of them have been kicked out
of their own homes. Others have felt that there has been no place for
them in their community. Our amendment would help ensure that those
seeking services through the federally funded programs are not denied
assistance based on their race, color, religion, national origin, sex,
sexual orientation, gender identity or disability.
All homeless young people need access to safe beds at night and
services during the day so that they never have to choose between
selling their bodies and a safe place to sleep. I would like to thank
Senator Leahy and Senator Heitkamp for being so passionate about this
issue. They have worked with me to incorporate important feedback into
our amendment, particularly from faith-based organizations.
In fact, Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that at the
conclusion of my remarks, a letter be printed that I have from numerous
faith-based organizations endorsing our amendment. These organizations
represent millions of people in all 50 States. They urge us to pass our
legislation with that nondiscrimination clause intact.
They include, for example: Covenant House International, the
Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, the Interfaith Alliance, the
National Council of Jewish Women, the Metropolitan Community Churches,
the Methodist Federation for Social Action, the
United Church of Christ, Justice and Witness Ministries, and many
others that are backing our amendment.
We have clarified that providers can still provide and offer sex-
specific shelters and programming. By that, I mean all-girl shelters or
all-boy shelters. The nondiscrimination clause is modeled--it is
virtually identical to a provision enacted into law during the last
Congress through the bipartisan Violence Against Women Act. Nothing,
nothing in our amendment alters the ability of faith-based providers to
give preference in hiring to people of their same faith.
The stand-alone bill on which our amendment is based was reported out
of the Judiciary Committee last Congress by an overwhelming bipartisan
vote of 15 to 3. It has the support of nearly 270 organizations
including, as I mentioned, many faith-based providers that serve
homeless youth, other service providers, and antitrafficking groups.
They all strongly support the reauthorization of these prevention,
intervention, and treatment programs.
Our health care workers in Maine are also tremendous partners in
helping to address trafficking crimes and their victims. Saint Joseph
Hospital in Bangor has educated its clinicians to identify the signs of
human trafficking among their patients. Congress must do more both to
provide law enforcement with the tools it needs to pursue sex
trafficking, but we cannot forget those prevention and intervention
programs that are provided by the Runaway and Homeless Youth Program.
By giving homeless youth the support and the services they need, we
can help prevent them from becoming trafficked in the first place.
These programs have provided lifesaving services and housing for
America's homeless and runaway youth for 40 years. They are vital in
addressing this serious problem. I urge my colleagues to support the
amendment that Senator Leahy and I, Senator Heitkamp, Senator Ayotte,
Senator Murkowski, and Senator Baldwin are offering today. It is so
important.
Again, I want to especially thank Senator Heitkamp for all of her
advocacy. She has done tremendous work.
I am very happy to yield the floor for her.
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Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, the question really comes down to this:
Do we want provider services to homeless and runaway youth to be able
to turn away at the door a 13-year-old girl simply because of her
sexual orientation? That is what this comes down to, and I think the
answer is no if that provider is receiving Federal funds. It shouldn't
matter, and we should be willing to stand and say that we want to help
all youth stay out of the clutches of these truly evil sex traffickers.
That is what this is about.
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Ms. COLLINS. Madam President, the question before us is very clear:
If you believe runaway and homeless youth should receive services that
are federally funded without regard to their sexual orientation, you
should vote yes on this amendment. The Cornyn amendment does not
prohibit discrimination.
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