Human Trafficking
Texas is a hub for international human trafficking because of its many busy interstate highways, international airports, countless bus stations, the shipping commerce through the Gulf of Mexico, and its shared border with Mexico.
July 3rd, 2018
The illegal immigration issue is now boiling over in the United States of America and especially in states that border Mexico. While no one wants to 'rip' a child from their mother's arms, no one should 'rip' an unborn from...
June 12th, 2018
May 29th marked the 3-year anniversary of the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act (JVTA). This legislation officially declared that modern-day slavery will not be tolerated in our country.
April 18th, 2018
As you may be aware, Texas has roughly 300,000 human trafficking victims, including nearly 79,000 minors who have been forced into prostitution or other forms of sex trafficking. Sadly, Houston has the highest number of...
March 29th, 2018
Last week, the President signed an important piece of legislation into law – the Fiscal Year 2018 Omnibus Appropriations bill.
February 12th, 2018
A disgraced former judge in Kentucky received a sentence of 20 years in prison for his role in a long-running human trafficking operation. The judge pleaded guilty to 21 counts of trafficking women and young girls in the sex...
January 23rd, 2018
Rebecca grew up in a small town in southern Oregon. She was on the honor roll, and she played varsity sports.She graduated high school early and immediately enrolled in Oregon State University. However, when her daughter was...
January 1st, 2018
President Donald Trump issued a proclamation designating January 2018 and National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month.
July 21st, 2017
Former Congresswoman Linda Smith (R-WA-03), President of Shared Hope International, and I authored the following Op-Ed in the The Hill on the fight against human trafficking, highlighting my bill to end this heinous crime,...
July 17th, 2017
Congress took a big step late last week in fulfilling its most important Constitutional duty: to provide for the common defense. I joined my colleagues in the House to pass this year’s National Defense Authorization Act (...
June 9th, 2017
Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), and I today introduced the Abolish Human Trafficking Act which strengthens and reauthorizes key programs that support survivors of human...
June 28th, 2018
Recently, I voted yes on important legislation that supports the House’s continued action to fight sex and drug traffickers. H.R.
May 21st, 2018
Human trafficking is a plague on our city, town and nation. It is a menace to our society and must not be tolerated. Fortunately, we have outstanding organizations brave enough to bring awareness to this horrific crime. ...
April 10th, 2018
I released the following statement regarding the Department of Justice and Federal Bureau of Investigation announcement regarding the seizure of Backpage.com.
March 19th, 2018
Shock and sadness resonated across the country when 38 people were found trapped in the back of a sweltering tractor-trailer in the parking lot of a San Antonio Walmart last July. The lack of ventilation, food and water...
February 7th, 2018
Those who meet Asia Graves today are typically struck by her self-assuredness and strength. Nothing in her demeanor or speech hints at the darkness and trauma of her past. The only noticeable clue is the deep scar on her...
January 16th, 2018
The deviants of the slave trade operate all around us. Human trafficking occurs in our country, our States, and in our cities.
September 12th, 2017
The Abolish Human Trafficking Act, bipartisan legislation sponsored by U.S.
July 19th, 2017
A new soccer stadium in St. Petersburg, a luxury apartment complex in Moscow, all brought to Russia by North Korean slaves. That is right.These slaves get almost no wages, no holidays, with little food or sleep. Little Kim...
June 9th, 2017
Americans once thought that the horrors of human trafficking were a foreign problem. However, traffickers lurk all around us right here in America.
May 31st, 2017
Monday, May 29, marked the 2- year anniversary of the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act, called the JVTA. Democrats and Republicans in the House of Representatives and the Senate worked together in a bipartisan manner...