Next Steps: Congress Must Protect All Human Trafficking Victims
An open letter Congress
WASHINGTON – This week’s nearly-unanimous congressional action in the Epstein case was an important affirmation that survivors of human trafficking deserve justice. But other action is also urgently needed toward a broader goal of protecting everyone from human traffickers in the future. Critical portions of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) have lapsed and require immediate reauthorization. ATEST urges congressional approval of bills to reauthorize both the international and domestic provisions of the TVPA.
With strong bipartisan support, the Senate has included international provisions of the TVPA in its version of the National Defense Authorization Act (S.2296), including reauthorization of the State Department office that produces the annual Trafficking in Persons Report, support for survivors who serve on the U.S. Advisory Council on Human Trafficking, protections for domestic workers brought to the U.S. by foreign diplomats, and safeguards to prevent U.S. tax dollars from supporting traffickers through multilateral development bank loans. As NDAA conferees reconcile House and Senate versions of the act, ATEST recommends that anti-trafficking provisions remain in the final text. International human trafficking is an illegal business practice that threatens America’s national security and global trade – as well as being a fundamental violation of human rights. The anti-trafficking provisions of the Senate NDAA will benefit the American economy and millions of individuals at home and abroad.
Domestic anti-trafficking reauthorizations are contained in bills currently pending in the House (H.R.1144 and H.R.2961). These provisions reauthorize services to help survivors recover, support the National Human Trafficking Hotline where victims can call for help, and educate school children to prevent them from ever becoming victims. ATEST supports these provisions and believes both the international and domestic provisions are in need of timely Congressional support.
This fall marks the 25th anniversary of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act, which created the most comprehensive anti-trafficking program in the world. Now is the time to commemorate America’s quarter-century of accomplishment by reauthorizing portions of the law that have lapsed.
If you have any questions or would like a private briefing, please reach out to ATEST Director Terry FitzPatrick (email: terry-fitzpatrick@ATEST.us.org or cell 571-282-9913).
About ATEST
The Alliance to End Slavery and Trafficking (ATEST) is a U.S.-based nonpartisan coalition that advocates for solutions to prevent and end all forms of human trafficking and forced labor inside the U.S. and around the world. We promote lasting solutions to prevent labor and sex trafficking, hold perpetrators accountable, ensure justice for victims and empower survivors with tools for recovery. Our collective experience implementing programs in more than 30 U.S. cities and 100 countries gives us unparalleled breadth and depth of expertise. For the past 16 years, ATEST has served as a trusted adviser to members of Congress. Learn more: endslaveryandtrafficking.org.
