U.S. Rep. Martha McSally (R-AZ) continued to advocate against forced labor and commercial sexual exploitation with a vote in the U.S. House of Representatives to cut off access to what human traffickers crave most: money.
The End Banking for Human Traffickers Act of 2017, H.R. 2219, on April 10 received resounding House approval with a 408-2 vote and now heads to the U.S. Senate.
“It is disgraceful that in the 21st century, right here in America, humans are still bought and sold as slaves,” said Rep. McSally. “People should never be for sale, so let’s prevent these criminals from cashing in on their profits.”
Introduced in April 2017 by U.S. Reps. Ed Royce (R-CA) and Bill Keating (D-MA), the bipartisan H.R. 2219 would amend the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000 to add the U.S. Treasury Secretary to the President’s Interagency Task Force to Monitor and Combat Trafficking to increase the role of the financial industry in combating human trafficking, according to the text of the bill.
In turn, the task force would be directed to recommend revisions to Congress on strengthening the federal government’s anti-money laundering programs to specifically target money laundering related to human trafficking, among other provisions, according to the text of H.R. 2219.
“Human trafficking is rampant and a devastating reality for American youth who become victims, and we feel it acutely in Southern Arizona,” said Rep. McSally, who during her tenure in Congress has been a fierce anti-human trafficking advocate, according to her staff.
For instance, as chair of the U.S. House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Border and Maritime Security, Rep. McSally throughout the legislative process supported the Department of Homeland Security Blue Campaign Authorization Act, H.R. 4708. The bill would permit creation of the Blue Campaign program under the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), “the purpose of which shall be to unify and coordinate DHS efforts to address human trafficking,” according to the congressional record summary.
Due in part to her advocacy around the proposal, McSally received an invite and attended the White House ceremony on Feb. 14 when President Donald Trump signed H.R. 4708 into law.
Rep. McSally also has led efforts to raise awareness about human trafficking in her home state and on Capitol Hill. She took to the House floor in January 2015 to emphasize the importance of “raising awareness of trafficking by changing the perception of trafficking victims.” At home, Rep. McSally in February 2015 declared Pima County, Ariz., a “Zero Tolerance Human Trafficking Zone,” according to her office, and in the southern part of the state spoke with local elected officials, members of law enforcement and non-profit leaders about how the community might collectively end human trafficking in their border region.