113/samdt/21

It was passed by a vote of 93 to 5 in the Senate on 12 Feb 2013.

Text of Amendment No. 21, as Modified
The Senator from Vermont.

Mr. President, I have already spoken about this, and I want to reiterate what I said earlier. Our country, justifiably so, is a beacon of hope for so many who face human rights abuses. I think of what is written on the iconic Statue of Liberty; so many people come to our shores for freedom. We also know there are many who are being held in these despicable trafficking schemes around the world. There are children who are 11, 12, 13 years old being held, and we have to speak for them.

I hope all Senators will join me in voting for this amendment. There are protections for victims of trafficking in the reauthorization act. It is a bipartisan bill written with the input of victims and service providers. It helps us to more effectively fight human trafficking, which is really modern-day slavery. Whether people are trafficked in the sex trade--especially children--or in forced labor, it is slavery. It is not isolated. There are 27 million victims worldwide today according to the Polaris Project. This amendment will help us to stop it by supporting both domestic and international efforts to fight against trafficking.

Just as important as it is to help us punish the perpetrators, the amendment will help us rebuild the lives of those caught up in it. We know funds are always limited. We put in accountability measures to ensure the Federal funds are used for their intended purposes.

Let us continue to have the United States as a beacon of hope to people around the world.

I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record letters in support of amendment 21, the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act, to S. 47, the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013.

There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in the, as follows:

Let's pass this.

Mr. President, I am going to suggest the absence of a quorum unless somebody else seeks recognition. I see the distinguished Senator from Florida on the floor, and I yield the floor.

The Senator from Florida.