Last night, Congresswoman Annie Kuster (NH-02) joined with her colleague, Representative Ann Wagner (R-MO) on the House Floor to stress the importance of passing legislation to help put a stop to the practice of human trafficking. Kuster applauded House efforts to support the legislation, which is expected to be passed by the House today, and urged the Senate to act immediately to pass this package of bills into law.

“Every year, thousands of women, children, and men are trafficked around the world – even right here in our own backyard,” said Congresswoman Annie Kuster. “Last year, I partnered with my colleagues across the aisle to sponsor legislation that would help put an end to this egregious practice. I was proud to again join with my Republican colleague from Indiana, Representative Wagner, to introduce major legislation to prevent human trafficking, and to support the package of bills expected to pass the House today. But we cannot stop here; no one should ever be allowed to profit off the trafficking of another human being, and I urge the Senate to join with us and pass this critical package of legislation now.”

Earlier this month, Kuster joined with Representative Ann Wagner to reintroduce the Save Act, legislation that amends current law to prohibit profiting from advertising which promotes or may lead to already-illegal acts such as human trafficking, child and/or sexual abuse, kidnapping, pimping, and prostitution. This legislation is expected to pass the House today, along with a number of other anti-human trafficking bills that Kuster supported.

These bills include a number of critical measures that would, among other things: help eradicate child sex tourism by increasing communication between foreign governments so they can better track child-sex offenders; provide increased resources and advanced training for government personnel to better identify and protect victims of human trafficking; expand services available for runaway and homeless youth trafficking victims; develop “best practices” for addressing human trafficking at the Department of Health and Human Services; better train border agents to identify potential trafficking victims and to report any suspicions to local law enforcement; establish programs to help prevent children from becoming trafficking victims; give trafficking victims eligibility to participate in the federal Jobs Corps program; and provide increased resources to state and local law enforcement officials so they can properly investigate and prosecute sex traffickers and provide needed support for victims.

Since first taking office, Kuster has been a leader in the fight against human trafficking, and she has a history of working across the aisle to gain bipartisan support for the cause. Last year, she coauthored a letter with Congresswoman Ann Wagner (R-MO) condemning the kidnapping of nearly 300 girls by the terrorist group Boko Haram, and calling on the U.S. government to work with the United Nations to enact more comprehensive financial sanctions against the organization. Together, Kuster and Wagner brought together all 79 women Representatives, Democrats and Republicans, to cosign the letter. 

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