"Human trafficking" is a pretty whitewashed term for something so ugly. Peel away the layers and you'll find stories that don't sound like they should come from the United States.
You'll find rape, and sexual assault. And abuse. And slavery.
And Democrats are refusing to fight it.
Back in January, members of Congress used
the Super Bowl to help draw attention to one of the more commonly-known ventures associated with human trafficking---prostitution. Members of the House majority used examples of how organized crime rings import men, women, and children into event hubs (like Phoenix) and sell sex in exchange for tourist dollars. The House sent a dozen bills to the Senate, all with the goal of improving law enforcement's ability to fight human trafficking, and making sure victims get the help and care that they need to come back from the abuse they suffer.
The Senate introduced its own bill, called the
Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act. Sponsored by Majority Whip John Cornyn (R-TX), the JVTA has similar goals to the House bills described above, and passed out of the Judiciary Committee in February with unanimous bipartisan support. Now, however, Democrats are attempting to throw the bill away over what they argue are "anti-choice" provisions that use the Hyde Amendment to prevent money placed into a victims' restitution fund from being spent on abortions.
That's right---Democrats are throwing
modern day slaves under the bus, and playing politics with the lives of abused and abandoned men, women, and children.
The kicker? We only need six Democrats to turn their backs on the the gamesmanship and vote in favor of the bill.