Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler (MO-4) and the U.S. House have passed a package of bills aimed at preventing, increasing awareness of, and protecting victims of the crime of human trafficking.
“Human trafficking is nothing more than modern-day slavery,” Hartzler said. “It is a heinous crime and more needs to be done to stop it worldwide and here in the United States. Many overlook the fact that this crime is not confined to foreign countries and that many cases are right here in our own backyards. In fact, it is estimated that child sex trafficking is a $32 billion dollar industry worldwide and a $9.8 billion industry here in the U.S. It is the fastest-growing business of organized crime and the third-largest criminal enterprise in the world, putting over 293,000 young Americans at risk of becoming trafficking victims each year.”
“I am proud to have co-sponsored a number of the measures in this package,” Hartzler added. “These bills, along with the others, will help to bring this terrible crime to light, uproot traffickers, and ensure that trafficking victims are treated as victims, not like criminals. This is a good step towards eliminating trafficking, but much more needs to be done."
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