Goodlatte Floor Statement on Bill to Ensure Funding for National Human Trafficking Hotline

Washington, D.C. – House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) delivered the following remarks on the House floor in support of H.R. 5422, a bill to ensure funding for the National Human Trafficking Hotline. Chairman Goodlatte: “Today we consider on suspension, H.R. 5422.  This bill corrects an inadvertent change made in the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of 2015 that caused grant funding for the national human trafficking hotline to be processed through the Department of Justice, rather than through the Department of Health and Human Services, as it had been historically. “The National Human Trafficking Hotline is a toll-free hotline, available to answer calls from anywhere in the United States, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, in more than 200 languages. The hotline’s mission is to connect trafficking victims and survivors to critical support services, and to equip the anti-trafficking community with the tools to effectively combat all forms of human trafficking. “This bill was introduced on June 9, 2016 by Congressman Ted Poe, a tireless advocate for the prevention of human trafficking and for trafficking victims, and the bill passed out of the Judiciary Committee on November 16th by voice vote. “While Congressman Poe is undergoing treatment for Leukemia and is unable to be here, I want to once again let him know that he’s in our prayers.  We are confident in his recovery, and continue to appreciate all his work on these important human trafficking matters. “I thank Congressman Poe for sponsoring this legislation that corrects an inadvertent drafting oversight, and I urge my colleagues to support the bill and reserve the balance of my time.”  ###