Providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 1865) to amend the Communications Act of 1934 to clarify that section 230 of such Act does not prohibit the enforcement against providers and users of interactive computer services of Federal and State criminal and civil law relating to sexual exploitation of children or sex trafficking, and for other purposes.

Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Chairman, let me thank the gentlewoman from Alabama for managing this legislation. I thank Congresswoman Wagner for her leadership and, as someone said, continued determination, joined by my friend and colleague from Ohio, Congresswoman Beatty and Congresswoman Maloney. We have all worked together over the years for the victims of human trafficking and sex trafficking.

In the last couple of hours, we heard in the Judiciary Committee the stories of the victims of rape, so we know that this is an important time and important legislation. Throughout this time, you will hear stories of victims who have been victimized and are in need of this legislation.

Just to recount my statement in the Rules Committee, yesterday, Monday, a week ago, in Houston, I sat down with victims who had been trafficked or who had been victimized through online sex trafficking or other aspects of sex trafficking. It was overwhelming to hear parents speak of a young girl, their daughter, who had been misled and driven away from their home or from her area and had been taken and abused for a long period of time until he had to rescue her himself, spending $50,000, and then $60,000, to be able to rehabilitate herself, which is now an ongoing process. Though, as every family and every parent, he is grateful that she is alive.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of H.R. 1865, Allow States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act of 2017, an important bill intended to address the reprehensible crime of online sex trafficking by prosecuting the violators and providing relief to the violated.

First and foremost, H.R. 1865 makes clear that section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which its interpretation was expanded in the first circuit court ruling of Doe v. Backpage, this bill makes it clear that section 230 of the Communications Decency Act was never intended to protect the facilitation of online prostitution or sex trafficking and calls out those websites that have acted recklessly in allowing the sale of victims of sex trafficking online or stood idly by while young boys and girls, many as young as 13 years old or even younger, were coerced, threatened, tortured, bought, and sold on the whims of their exploiters.

Secondly, this legislation will provide Federal prosecutors with an additional weapon to use against the immoral individuals who participate in the forced enslavement we know as sex trafficking.

H.R. 1865 creates the new offense of intentional promotion or facilitation of prostitution while using or operating a facility or means of interstate or foreign commerce, such as the internet. A general violation of this offense will be punishable by a sentence of upwards of 10 years.

Websites have operated with impunity, hidden behind section 230, allowing traffickers to advertise, promote, sell minors and other vulnerable at-risk members of our society, children, parents' precious, precious children, who are forced to perform unspeakable acts under the threat of violence, gun violence, starvation, and emotional and physical abuse.

Under this legislation, an aggravated violation of the new offense, punishable by imprisonment, occurs if a defendant, such as Backpage, promotes or facilitates the prostitution of five or more victims or acts with reckless disregard of the fact that the conduct in question contributed to sex trafficking as defined in the Federal criminal code at section 1591, title 18.

Not only does H.R. 1865 create criminal liability and mandatory restitution for online sex traffickers and their enablers, this legislation goes even further. Victims harmed as a result of an aggravated violation of this new offense will have the ability--very important--to seek civil damages, while judges will be required to impose restitution upon defendants convicted of committing either the general or aggravated violation.

We appreciate law enforcement, U.S. attorneys, yet we know that State law enforcement agencies and prosecutors are vital in the fight as well, and they have called on Congress to act and to fight more effectively. There are State task forces across the country working to protect young girls and boys, and H.R. 1865 allows State legislators to enact laws prohibiting the conduct that reflects the offense created in this bill.

Soon we will be discussing the Walters amendment, which is offered because of the victims groups who want a stronger response to helping victims. We thank them for that.

The Jackson Lee amendment, which I will offer, leads to be able to help understand what the level of recovery is and the mandatory restitution. It will tell the story. It will provide the GAO study to find out how this legislation is positively impacting, who is receiving the dollars, are they receiving the dollars.

Today, this account has swelled to $99 billion a year, with a considerable portion of that money being generated through online advertising solicitation, and that is the account of dollars that are being used through sex trafficking.

My amendment will determine and help to bring information to us as to the effectiveness of this particular legislation, and I think it will be very important.

Let me conclude by saying that a letter to Congress from the National Association of Attorneys General indicated certain Federal courts have broadly interpreted the Communications Decency Act, which has left victims and State and local law enforcement agencies and prosecutors, who regularly confront the cruel realities of sex trafficking, feeling powerless against online ad services and websites that facilitate or allow sex trafficking.

My heart goes out, and I am grateful that we have moved. As we move forward, we will be able to build with more legislation that might include my second amendment that would have allowed victims of sex trafficking to file civil actions in State courts.

Mr. Chair, let me express my gratitude to the victims who have been courageous enough to tell their story.

Mr. Chair, I rise in support of H.R. 1865, the ``Allow States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act of 2017,'' an important bill, intended to address the reprehensible crime of online sex trafficking by prosecuting the violators and providing relief to the violated.

First and foremost, H.R. 1865:

(1) Makes clear that Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act was never intended to protect the facilitation of online prostitution or sex trafficking; and

(2) Calls out those websites that have acted recklessly in allowing the sale of victims of sex trafficking online, or stood idly by while young boys and girls--many as young as thirteen years old or even younger--were coerced, threatened, tortured, bought, and sold on the whims of their exploiters.

Secondly, this legislation will provide federal prosecutors with an additional weapon to use against the immoral individuals who participate

in the forced enslavement we know as sex trafficking.

H.R. 1865 creates the new offense of intentional promotion or facilitation of prostitution while using or operating a facility or means of interstate or foreign commerce, such as the Internet.

A general violation of this offense will be punishable by a sentence of imprisonment of up to ten years.

Websites have operated with impunity and hidden behind Section 230-- allowing traffickers to advertise, promote, and sell minors and other vulnerable, at risk members of our society, who are forced to perform unspeakable acts under the threat of violence, starvation, and emotional and physical abuse.

Under this legislation, an aggravated violation of the new offense, punishable by a maximum of twenty-five years imprisonment, occurs if a defendant, such as Backpage.com:

(1) Promotes or facilitates the prostitution of five or more victims; or

(2) Acts with reckless disregard of the fact that the conduct in question contributed to sex trafficking, as defined in the federal criminal code at section 1591 of title 18.

Not only does H.R. 1865 create criminal liability and mandatory restitution for online sex traffickers and their enablers, this legislation goes even further.

Victims harmed as a result of an aggravated violation of this new offense will have the ability to seek civil damages, while judges will be required to impose restitution upon defendants convicted of committing either the general or aggravated violation.

We appreciate the efforts of federal law enforcement and assistant U.S. attorneys who endeavor to rid the streets and virtual highways of sex trafficking.

Yet we know that state law enforcement agencies and prosecutors are vital to this fight as well, and they have called on Congress to help them fight more effectively.

There are state task forces across the country working on the frontlines to locate young girls and young boys--children--and return them to the arms of distraught mothers and fathers.

H.R. 1865 allows state legislatures to enact laws prohibiting conduct that reflects the offenses created in this bill and the existing sex trafficking statute that I previously mentioned.

Congresswoman Walters has offered an amendment, which is supported by many victims' advocacy groups, to further strengthen the legislation before us today.

Taking two key provisions from the Senate bill, known as SESTA, the Walters amendment makes clear that the Communications Decency Act does not impair or limit federal causes of action filed by victims of sex trafficking and creates a right of action for state attorneys general to file federal causes of action for sex trafficking on behalf of their citizens.

This leads me to my own amendment, which is intended to measure the effectiveness of the civil recovery and mandatory restitution provisions of H.R. 1865.

In every community across the country, soulless individuals bend, break, and use the minds and bodies of young girls, young boys, men, and women--for a profit--over and over and over again.

Despite the reprehensible nature of this crime, sex trafficking is a widespread problem that is now the fastest growing criminal industry.

Today, it has swelled to $99 billion a year--with a considerable portion of that money being generated through online advertising and solicitation.

Sex traffickers have harnessed the wide-reaching expanse of the Internet together with the ability to conduct their so-called business anonymously.

They are no longer restricted to dark, unsafe street corners, filthy truck stops, or seedy hotels and strip clubs.

Instead, websites have made sex trafficking easy, convenient, and less risky for traffickers and their cowardly customers.

Today, visitors to websites can scroll through virtual Yellow Pages of listings, on their cell phones or tablets, according to their location, tastes, and preferences, without leaving the privacy and safety of their homes.

According to the Polaris Project, U.S. law enforcement has identified online advertisements as the primary platform for buying and selling sex with minors. Over the past several years, more than 80 percent of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children's reports regarding child sex trafficking relate to the sex trafficking of a child online.

When notified of the criminal activity occurring on their websites and platforms, many companies, have worked to remove the content and even collaborated with law enforcement to find the perpetrators and rescue victims.

On the other hand, there are companies that have made every effort to obfuscate the criminal nature of the activity that is allowed to continue unabated, while the companies continue to turn a profit, and traffickers continue to force their captives to perform sex acts, under the threat of violence and actual physical and emotional abuse.

Girls and boys, men and women, are brazenly advertised and sold for sex on roughly a dozen major websites--the most notorious of these is, of course, Backpage.com.

However, local law enforcement officials in Seattle, Washington have identified more than 130 websites where mostly women and children are bought and sold for sex.

Many attempts have been made to hold these websites, including Backpage.com, accountable for allowing sex traffickers to operate on their platforms and profiting from their conduct.

However, as was pointed out in a letter to Congress from The National Association of Attorneys General: ``certain federal courts have broadly interpreted the Communications Decency Act,'' which has left victims and state and local law enforcement agencies and prosecutors, who regularly confront the cruel realities of sex trafficking, feeling powerless against online ad services and websites that facilitate or allow sex trafficking.

My heart aches for those who are taken advantage of, abused, robbed of their innocence, and then robbed again of the justice they seek.

As I said earlier, the legislation before us will allow victims to file civil actions in federal courts under certain conditions and my amendment will determine if the civil actions are delivering relief and restoration.

I offered a second amendment that would have allowed victims of sex trafficking to file civil actions in state courts under the same conditions set forth in the underlying bill for federal civil actions.

Although I am disappointed that this amendment was not accepted, I look forward to building upon the work that has been done to address the needs of victims and survivors of sex trafficking, and introducing additional legislation to continue along the pathway towards a comprehensive solution.

I am inspired and energized by the countless survivors who, despite their suffering, are willing to stand against those who have exploited them. These brave individuals want justice and I want them to have it.

As a leader in the fight against Human and Sex Trafficking and Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations, I am painfully familiar with the pervasiveness of sex trafficking in my own state of Texas--which has become a hot bed of human trafficking.

Among law enforcement and human trafficking authorities, Houston is known as the hub of human trafficking.

The highest number of calls to the National Human Trafficking Hotline in Texas comes from Houston, and a study conducted by the University of Texas stated that there are more than 300,000 victims of human trafficking in Texas, including almost 79,000 minors.

In the few minutes I have left, I would like to share the story of a young woman named Kathy, who moved to Houston in 1994 with her family.

Kathy was raised to be strong and independent; she was very involved in her church, community, and ROTC.

She graduated from high school, with hopes of pursuing a career in journalism.

Yet, Kathy became a victim of sex trafficking.

Like most girls, she wanted to be loved.

She met a charming young man who treated her like she had never been treated before.

After a fairytale year, her Prince Charming proposed something Kathy felt she could not refuse--a promising job with his company, an administrative position that would triple her income and provide financial security for her future, which seemed like a dream come true.

The job was in Dallas and, despite her initial hesitation, she saw the offer as an opportunity to provide for her family.

But, shortly after she arrived in Dallas, Kathy found herself in the dark world of sex trafficking and prostitution--a life she never imagined.

Graphic images were taken of her and placed on the Internet against her will.

She was forced to perform sexual favors multiple times, every day, throughout Dallas and surrounding areas.

Escape was not easy.

She was cut off from her family.

Her boyfriend, turned pimp, limited her phone calls to johns, and did not allow her to have money.

But, somehow she found an opportunity to get away and she never looked back.

After many years of living in silence, Kathy decided to journal her experience.

That journal became a book, which became a stage play.

Kathy found her voice and is now an inspirational speaker who hopes to use her story to encourage others to join the fight against sex trafficking.

Images of Kathy's horrific past linger on the Internet.

She says: ``Sites like Backpage have chosen to revictimize survivors and keeps us in bondage by refusing to remove images taken against our will.''

Kathy hopes that one day the voices of survivors will be heard.

Well, Kathy--know that I hear you.

Congress hears you.

We hear the voices of the victims, who remain in physical and mental bondage.

We hear the voices of the survivors, who are struggling to rid themselves of reminders of their torment--survivors like Liliana who was lured away from her home by a man she met on the internet, held captive, repeatedly raped by at least five different men, and suffers from PTSD.

H.R. 1865, the ``Allow States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act of 2017,'' together with Representative Walters's amendment, provides law enforcement, prosecutors, and courts at every level with the tools they need to hold responsible each and every bad actor who participates in, facilitates, contributes to, or profits from this modern-day form of slavery.

The proposed legislative combination will help defend and protect communities across the country, guard against the further spread of sex trafficking, and provide survivors with a path to justice of their own.

Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chair, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Costa).

Mr. Chair, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the gentleman from California.

Mr. Chair, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Ohio (Mrs. Beatty), a Democratic cosponsor of this legislation. I thank her very much for her perseverance and determination.

Mr. Chair, I yield an additional 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Ohio.

Mr. Chair, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Carolyn B. Maloney), who joined with Representative Joyce Beatty from Ohio and the lead sponsor, Congresswoman Wagner, to be strong supporters of this legislation. She is an original cosponsor of the bill.

Mr. Chair, I yield an additional 1 minute to the gentlewoman.

Mr. Chair, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the gentlewoman.

Mr. Chair, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lofgren), a member of the Judiciary Committee, a distinguished Member, who is the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Immigration and Border Security and knows about violations of human beings.

Mr. Chairman, I yield myself the balance of my time and offer a closing to this important legislation.

Mr. Chairman, as indicated, I had offered an amendment that would have allowed victims of sex trafficking to file civil action in State courts under the same conditions set forth in the underlying bill for Federal/civil actions.

I believe, however, that we have laid a stupendous foundation for innocent victims and that we will have an opportunity to work with all of our friends who fought so hard for this legislation.

So again, I want to take the opportunity to thank Congresswoman Wagner and her cosponsors, and as well Congresswoman Maloney and Congresswoman Beatty, and the work that we have done in the Judiciary Committee through a period of coming together, I believe, is extremely constructive.

It is so constructive that we have any number of support letters. I include in

the Record a statement by John F. Clark, President and CEO of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.

Statement By John F. Clark, President & and CEO, National Center for

Missing and Exploited Children

Regarding House Action on Legislation to Provide Justice to Child Sex

Trafficking Victims--February 23, 2018

The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children is

pleased that the House of Representatives is scheduled to

consider Representative Ann Wagner's Allow States and Victims

to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act (H.R. 1865) next week. We

strongly urge all Members to support the crucial amendment

offered by Representative Mimi Walters, which makes long

needed updates to the Communications Decency Act (CDA) to

ensure that children trafficked for sex online can have their

day in court against online traffickers and to clarify that

there is no legal protection for anyone who participates in

the sex trafficking of children.

We especially thank Senators Rob Portman and Richard

Blumenthal for their powerful leadership in authoring the

Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act (S. 1693), which is the

basis for Representative Walters' amendment, and for their

ongoing support of the child survivors, their families, and

the coalition of advocacy organizations who serve these

survivors.

We look forward to continuing to work with Members of

Congress to bring this legislation to a vote on the House

Floor and through the Senate so that it can get to the

President's desk to be signed into law.

Mr. Chair, I include in the Record a letter from Enough is Enough.

For Immediate Release: February 26, 2018

Enough Is Enough Calls on the U.S. House of Representatives To Pass

Critical Legislation To Hold Websites Accountable for Knowingly

Facilitating Sex Trafficking

Statement by Donna Rice Hughes, President & CEO, Enough Is Enough

Great Falls, VA.--H.R. 1865, the Fight Online Sex

Trafficking Act of 2017 (FOSTA), originally introduced by

Representative Ann Wagner, is scheduled for an historic floor

vote on Tuesday. The need for legislation to clarify Section

230 of the Communication's Decency Act (CDA) is necessary

given the 1st Circuit ruling in Doe v Backpage which held

that even if Backpage had participated in the crime of sex

trafficking, Section 230 shielded the company from the claims

filed by child victims.

``The urgency to amend Section 230 of the Communications

Decency Act is long overdue,'' said EIE President Donna Rice

Hughes. ``Section 230, originally known as the Good Samaritan

Defense, was intended to protect children from the online

exploitation. Unfortunately, it has been anything but a Good

Samaritan immunity for responsible Internet service and

content providers, and instead has been misused by third

party websites like backpage.com as a Trojan horse to

knowingly facilitate sex and trafficking with women in

children,'' said Ms. Hughes. ``There must be accountability

in the form of state and local criminal and civil liability

for such sites which have been referred to by prosecutors as

an `online brothel.' Its time to put the dignity of women and

children over corporate profit,'' said Hughes.

For years, EIE has encouraged Congress to amend Section 230

due to a series of devastating rulings in multiple court

cases over the years which have misinterpreted Section 230 of

the Communications Decency Act by granting anything goes

immunity to websites whose advertising business model

knowingly facilitates sex trafficking and exploitation.

``By passing FOSTA along with the crucial amendment offered

by Representative Mimi Walters which mirrors S. 1693 ``Stop

Enabling Sex Trafficking Act 2017'' (SESTA), each member of

the House has the opportunity to send an `enough is enough'

clarion message to sites who exploit and traffic vulnerable

children and women and to the federal courts who have failed

to properly interpret Congress's original intent for #230 An

overwhelming `yes' vote by the House will say to child

victims, `we hear you, we see you and we are standing with

you by providing the necessary legislative remedy to seek

justice,'' continued Hughes, who applauded the resolution

last week set forth unanimously by the Kentucky House of

Representatives, which requested and petitioned the U.S.

Congress to amend sections of the Community Decency Act (CDA

230) to ``permit the prosecution of interactive computer

service providers.''

In 2016, during his candidacy, Donald Trump signed EIE's

Children's Internet Safety Presidential Pledge in which he

promised to ``aggressively enforce existing federal laws to

prevent the sexual exploitation of children online, including

the obscenity, child pornography, sexual predation & sex

trafficking laws.'' Ms. Hughes added, ``We strongly urge the

House to pass the FOSTA-SESTA compromise package and move it

to the Senate, offering hope to and justice for those who

have suffered from this unconscionable act of human

exploitation.'' SESTA, originally introduced by Senators

Portman and Blumenthal currently has 67 bipartisan Senate co-

sponsors and is endorsed by the Internet Association (IA), as

is H.R. 1865.

In 2013, Enough Is Enough voiced strong support of the

effort of The National Association of Attorneys General (49

Attorneys General) calling on Congress to support a simple

two word amendment that would enable state prosecutors to

help fight prostitution and child sex trafficking.

Unfortunately, Congress failed to act, resulting in more

years of untold trauma and exploitation for trafficking

victims and huge profits for websites and interactive service

providers.

Mr. Chair, I also include in the Record a letter from World Without Exploitation with many, many signatures.

For Immediate Release

National Anti-Trafficking Coalition Urges Congress to Pass FOSTA With

Section 230 Provision to Curb Online Sex Trafficking--As Internet Demand Explodes, World Without Exploitation Calls on National Lawmakers to Support Survivors and Stem the Tide of Human Trafficking by Holding

Websites Accountable

New York, NY--February 26, 2018--World Without Exploitation

(WorldWE), the national coalition to end human trafficking

and exploitation, today urges members of Congress to pass

legislation that would clarify Section 230 of the

Communications Decency Act and allow state law enforcement

and survivors to seek justice against websites that knowingly

engage in facilitating human trafficking. The bill will help

disrupt sex trafficking in the United States, much of which

has shifted from the streets to the Internet.

The Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act of 2017 (FOSTA), H.R.

1865, was introduced by Rep. Ann Wagner (R-MO) and now

includes a crucial amendment by Rep. Mimi Walters (R-CA) that

seeks to close a legal loophole in Section 230 of the

Communications Decency Act that allows websites that host

online sex ads to operate with impunity. The Walters

amendment echoes language from the Stop Enabling Sex

Traffickers Act of 2017 (SESTA), S. 1693 sponsored in the

Senate by Rob Portman (R-OH) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT).

``Every day, thousands of children and adults are being

illegally bought and sold online, and the websites that

facilitate these transactions have been able to hide behind

legislation that was never designed to shelter this kind of

activity,'' said Lauren Hersh, national director of WorldWE.

``WorldWE and our members are incredibly grateful to Reps.

Wagner and Walters and Sens. Portman and Blumenthal, among

many others, for listening to the voices of survivors and

driving meaningful change with so much bipartisan support.

The urgency we are seeing to stop human trafficking at the

highest levels of our government is truly inspiring.''

With the growth of the Internet, human trafficking that

once happened mainly on street corners has largely shifted

online. According to the National Center for Missing &

Exploited Children, 73 percent of the 10,000 child sex

trafficking reports it receives from the public each year

involve ads on the website Backpage.com. The anonymity and

ease with which victims can be bought and. sold on the

Internet has created a multibillion-dollar industry, and a

tremendous surge in exploitation across the United States.

``The illegal sex trade is no less odious simply because it

is operating on the Web,'' said Anne K. Ream, founding co-

chair of WorldWE. ``Wherever it happens, whenever it happens,

human trafficking is an industry in which profits are built

on human pain. We need public policies that are responsive to

the current face of trafficking, which is why passage of

FOSTA with the Walters amendment is so critical.''

``We urge the House to pass FOSTA with the Walters

amendment and send the bill to the Senate for adoption,''

said Nikki Bell, founder and director of Living in Freedom

Together (LIFT), a survivor-led organization. ``We are hoping

after today, we will be one step closer to bringing justice

to survivors and disrupting the profitable model of online

trafficking in our country.''

To learn more about WorldWE, hear survivor stories, donate,

and join our movement to create a world without exploitation,

please visit http://www.worldwithoutexploitation.org./

About World Without Exploitation

World Without Exploitation (WorldWE) is a national

coalition of more than 100 organizations and individuals

committed to human rights, civil rights, and gender justice.

WordWE's mission is to create a world where no person is

bought, sold or exploited. The coalition aims to create a

culture where those who have been trafficked or sexually

exploited are treated as victims of a crime, not criminals

themselves, while those who purchase, sell or exploit another

human being are punished.

What was it like before this legislation? Simply, J.S., who is documented in the film ``Jane Doe,'' will tell you. A bright young lady, 15 years old, ran on the track team here in this area and, for her own enthusiasm, went to Seattle, Washington.

When she went to Seattle, Washington, it would have been nice if a kind soul had found her, but that was not the case.

Within 15 days, she met a man twice her age, who seduced her with gifts and convinced her to stay with him. Once she trusted the 32-year- old, he quickly turned on her and raped her, and he would post explicit pictures of her in an ad on Backpage.com, and she was forced to continue to have sex for money.

One would think that there was relief. But when her family sought to file in court, she lost. She lost. Only through the work of Congress has her case been able to move forward on an appeal.

So the work that we have done is vital to saving lives and to restoring lives. I am inspired and energized by the countless survivors, many of whom I have seen today and many of whom I have joined with last Monday in my district.

As a leader in the fight against human and sex trafficking and ranking member of the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations, I am painfully familiar with the pervasiveness of sex trafficking in my own State of Texas, which has become a hotbed of human trafficking in the city of Houston.

Among law enforcement and human trafficking authorities, Houston is known as a hub of human trafficking, not because of the lack of concern and energy in my law enforcement and social service community. It is just an epicenter because of the ability for people to come because of the warm weather, for children who have aged out of foster care, and for others who are victims of human trafficking.

The highest number of calls to the National Human Trafficking Hotline in Texas comes from Houston, and a study conducted by the University of Texas stated that there are more than 300,000 victims of human trafficking in Texas, including almost 79,000 minors.

The story of Kathy, right here in Houston, in the few minutes I have left, I would like to share the story of a young woman named Kathy who moved to Houston in 1994 with her family. Kathy was raised to be strong and independent. She was very involved in a church community and ROTC. So in the few minutes I have remaining, I will share the story of Kathy.

She graduated from high school with hopes of pursuing a career in journalism, but she became a victim of sex trafficking. Like most girls, she wanted to be loved. She met a charming young man who treated her like she had never been treated before.

After a fairytale year, her Prince Charming proposed something Kathy felt she could not refuse: a promising job with his company, an administrative position that would triple her income and provide financial security for her future. It seemed like a dream come true.

The job was in Dallas. Despite her initial hesitation, she saw the offer as an opportunity to provide for her family. But shortly after she arrived in Dallas, Kathy found herself in the dark world of sex trafficking and prostitution, a life she never knew she would be involved in.

Graphic images were taken of her and placed on the internet against her will. She was forced to perform sexual favors multiple times every day throughout Dallas' surrounding areas.

Escape was not easy. She was cut off from her family. Her boyfriend- turned-pimp limited her phone calls to johns and did not allow her to have money. Somehow she found an opportunity to get away, and she never looked back.

After many years of living in silence, Kathy decided to journal her experience. The journal became a book, which became a stage play. Kathy found her voice and is now an inspirational speaker who hopes to use her story to encourage others to join the fight.

Images of Kathy's horrific past linger on. She said:

Sites like Backpage have chosen to revictimize survivors

and keep us in bondage by refusing to remove images taken

against our will.

Kathy hopes that one day the voices of survivors will be heard. Well, we hear Kathy today. Congress hears her. We hear the voices of the victims remaining in physical and mental bondage.

So, in conclusion, let me say, as we hear the voices of the survivors, we realize the importance of our First Amendment and the ability of free expression. But we know that the torment that these victims are going through, the PTSD that they are suffering, really is a statement of importance for H.R. 1865 that allows States and victims to fight online sex trafficking and to work with all of those who have worked so hard on this bill, from our Judiciary Committee to the Senate Judiciary Committee to the sponsors, and to go forward building on this legislation with more legislation, more victims being able to work with us, and, finally, Mr. Chairman, to be able to stomp out and extinguish human trafficking, sex trafficking, and online trafficking.

This is a powerful nation. There is no reason why we cannot do this. I look forward to that effort. With that, I ask for a vote of ``yes'' on this bill.

I want to say that Mrs. Maloney, who sounded as if she said vote ``no,'' really meant to say she wants a resounding ``yes'' on this legislation as well.

Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent to claim the time in opposition, although I am not opposed to the amendment.

Mr. Chairman, I rise to support the Goodlatte amendment, and I thank the chairman along with our ranking member, Mr. Nadler, for their hard work in working together.

I think this amendment is particularly important because it clarifies that the restitution provision applies to victims of sex trafficking and ensures that the affirmative defense applies to both of the criminal offenses created in the underlying bill. These changes are simple and reasonable.

Mr. Chair, I rise in support of the Goodlatte Manager's Amendment, which makes technical changes to H.R. 1865.

The amendment adds ``attempt'' language that was inadvertently omitted from the bill and is consistent with, and tracks the typical language used in the federal criminal code to define criminal offenses.

The amendment also clarifies that the restitution provision applies to victims of sex trafficking and ensures that the affirmative defense applies to both of the criminal offenses created in the underlying bill.

These changes are simple and reasonable and maintain the overall spirit of the bill

Mr. Chairman, I support the amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Will the gentlewoman yield?

Mr. Chair, a 16-year-old was found beaten and stabbed to death after being advertised as a prostitute on Backpage.

I might suggest that we follow one great philosopher in California who asked: Can we all get along?

This amendment is needed in order to give enhanced powers to State attorneys general that they can provide the extra litigation leverage for individuals who are impacted in a devastating manner.

As I said, we have to be concerned about the First Amendment, but we have got to protect our children. Every time I think of this precious young lady, Desiree, and the tears of her mother who testified before the other body in the Senate hearing, I think it is important that we move forward. If we move forward, we can build on this legislation.

I intend to offer additional legislation that we will need so that we can put a stop sign in front of the dastardly behavior of online sex trafficking.

So I ask my colleagues to support the Walters amendment in order to ensure that we can move forward and, as we move forward, make a difference in the lives of these children.

Mr. Chair, I rise in support of the Walters Amendment, which addresses problems states and local law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, and advocates have faced in their attempts to hold online sex traffickers responsible for their despicable behavior.

Congress decided more than 150 years ago that no person--no woman, no child, no boy or girl--deserves to be bought, sold, or owned by another person.

And, as I have said many times before, trafficking in human beings has no place in a civilized society.

Our country is facing a crisis that touches urban cities, rural areas, and suburbs, and violates the fundamental American ideal of liberty--which sets this country apart from so many others.

Traffickers hold their victims captive both physically and mentally, employing extreme forms of psychological abuse and coercion to main control over them and prevent them from escaping, while stripping them of their humanity.

This is an ongoing battle with very high stakes. Several years ago, I, along with Chairman McCaul, held the first field hearing on human trafficking in Texas before the Committee on Homeland Security. At the time of the hearing, a stash house was raided and 115 people were rescued. I visited that location and saw first-hand, the atrocious conditions in which those people were forced to exist.

Without the hard work of those Texas officers, I cannot fathom the torment that might have befallen those poor souls.

As Ranking Member of the Judiciary Crime Subcommittee, I support the eradication of Human and Sex Trafficking. This vile cruelty must end.

Anyone who aids, assists, facilitates or promotes such behavior must be held accountable.

Just last week, I sat down with a room filled with anti-human trafficking advocates and representatives of anti-human trafficking advocacy groups, including Real Beauty Real Women and Break the Cycle. I heard stories of suffering and stories of frustrations.

Victims and survivors are crying out for a change in the law and they are crying out for justice. They have tried to bring cases against the people, websites, and online service providers, who contributed to their suffering and profited from their victimization--to no avail.

Prosecutors have tried to bring online sex traffickers and the companies who provide them safe harbor--and, unfortunately failed.

It is imperative that we do all that we can to provide for victims of this disgusting crime, protect vulnerable members of society from becoming victims as well, and tell websites like Backpage.com.

Sex trafficking is a callous and brutal crime that unquestionably deserves the nation's upmost attention. It is particularly difficult to see the victimization of the very young who are sold into the sex trafficking market.

The SESTA amendment provides law enforcement, prosecutors, and courts at every level with the tools they need to hold responsible, both civilly and criminally, each and every bad actor who participates in, facilitates, contributes to, or profits from sex trafficking.

Many of the groups that work with victims and survivors of sex trafficking support passage of H.R. 1865 only if Ms. Walters's amendment passes as well.

Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. Chairman, I have already raised the picture of Desiree, who is dead. Her death was driven by being exposed as a so- called prostitute in the sex trafficking of a little girl on Backpage.

Or J.S., who, in fact, was victimized in Seattle. She was raped. She was put on Backpage. Then she was rescued by her family. Since it was before this legislation, it failed in court.

My legislation is very simple: Does this bill work? What more can we do?

I am asking for a study where the GAO would be instructed to assess the damages awarded to victims and restitution amounts imposed against defendants as a result of this bill.

Victims of sex trafficking require a multifaceted response to rebuild their life. That includes housing; counseling; job training; and, in many cases, drug treatment and rehabilitation. We as Members of Congress need to be able to know if it works.

A citizen-led movement called Fight for Us, along with a team of influential citizens called The Houston 20, work to fill in the gaps and strengthen the services for victims and survivors in the city of Houston.

I was very proud to meet with them at the Community of Faith Church, a socially motivated church, led by Bishop James Dixon. Jackie is the lead. They were all committed, Children at Risk and many other organizations, to eliminating some of the gaps for The Houston 20, which will allow them to utilize resources for greater work.

So I ask my colleagues to support the Jackson Lee amendment.

Mr. Chair, I rise in support of my amendment to H.R. 1865 which requests the Government Accountability Office to study the effectiveness of the civil and restitution provisions enacted by H.R. 1865.

In an effort to determine if we are actually providing justice to victims of sex trafficking through this legislation, GAO would be instructed to assess the damages awarded to victims and restitution amounts imposed against defendants as a result of this bill.

Victims of sex trafficking require a multi-faceted response to rebuild their lives that includes: housing, counseling, job training, and, in many cases, drug treatment and rehabilitation.

There are well-meaning, dedicated victim advocacy groups all over the country, that offer their help and services that are dependent on state and federal grants, charitable donations, and private funding.

A citizen-led movement called Fight For Us, along with a team of influential citizens called the Houston 20, work to fill in the gaps and strengthen the services for victims and survivors in my city of Houston. I commend these selfless individuals and hope that they continue their important work.

Fortunately though, H.R. 1865 creates a civil cause of action for victims of the aggravated violation, and requires judges to impose mandatory restitution orders in criminal cases involving such victims.

It is my hope that this measure will eliminate some of those gaps for the Houston 20 and allow them to utilize their resources for even greater work. Through this legislation, victims will be empowered to take control of their own recovery and restoration.

My amendment will collect data on the civil awards and restitution orders, to determine whether victims are actually receiving the relief, assistance, and justice they require and deserve.

My amendment primarily asks GAO to:

(1) report the amounts of the damages awarded and the restitution amounts ordered; but also

(2) report the amounts that are requested by victims and the government, on behalf of victims;

(3) the nature and descriptions of the losses that are claimed and proven; and

(4) the justifications for the amounts that are requested and eventually ordered to be paid.

My amendment further asks GAO to report cases that are dismissed and provide information describing the reason or reasons for the dismissals.

While it is Congress's duty to address the needs of our citizens by enacting sensible legislation, we are also responsible for monitoring the legislation we enact and determining whether we have truly responded to the needs of our citizens.

For this reason, and all reasons previously stated, I ask my colleagues to support the Jackson Lee Amendment.

Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chair, how much time is remaining on each side?

Mr. Chair, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Ohio (Mrs. Beatty).

Mr. Chair, does the gentlewoman have any additional speakers?

Mr. Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I will close at this time.

Mr. Chair, I thank the gentlewomen from Ohio and from New York. I thank Congresswoman Wagner. I thank Congresswoman Lofgren for her concern, as evidenced by her statement, but I want to focus on building blocks, and I want to say to fight for us in the coalition of 20 that I met with.

My promise is that we are in building blocks. We are going to build on what we are doing today, and we are going to continue to mount the assault on sex trafficking and human trafficking, and we are going to literally wipe it out.

We are going to wipe it out because of Shaundra. We are going to wipe it out because of this young, beautiful lady, 16 years old, Desiree. We are going to wipe it out because of Desiree. We are going to wipe it out because of J.S. We are going the wipe it out because Desiree was found beaten, stabbed to death, after being advertised as a prostitute on Backpage. We want her mother to know that we are outraged that children are treated in this way.

My amendment will be the guidepost: Is what we are doing working? It will provide a report on the amounts of damages awarded, the restitution awarded, report the amounts that are requested by victims and the government on their behalf, the nature and description of the losses that are claimed and proven, the justification for the amounts that are requested and eventually ordered to be paid.

My amendment asks GAO to report cases that are dismissed and provide information to describing the reason for those dismissals. We don't want anything to go under the rug. Our children are too important. I would ask my colleagues to support the Jackson Lee amendment.

And in conclusion, I would say to those who I met with, to those groups around the Nation meeting in local communities thinking that they are alone fighting this dastardly act of sex trafficking and human trafficking, and, of course, a moneymaker like Backpage, you are not alone, we are starting today, we have done work before, and we are not going to stop. I will work with you for the ongoing blocks that are going to continue to stamp out online sex trafficking and human trafficking. With that, I ask for support of the legislation and my amendment.

Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chair, I thank the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee) for her leadership on this important issue.

Mr. Chair, as the co-chair of the Victims' Rights Caucus with my colleague Congressman Ted Poe, I am a proud cosponsor of this important legislation for victims in America who have suffered from these crimes.

A free and open internet, we all believe, is essential to economic growth, entrepreneurship, and enterprise in the 21st century, and America leads the way. This new technology age has reshaped our lives and allowed for greater access to learning, greater ability to shape our own futures as Americans, and with economic benefits we could not have imagined 15 years ago.

Sadly, there are some people who look at these freedoms and the openness of the internet and see ways to exploit, abuse, and prey on innocent children and teenagers in the name of profit. It is outrageous, and it is a crime. I am speaking of the scourge of sex trafficking, which has impacted the lives of too many young people in the San Joaquin Valley that I represent and throughout America.

Today, here in Congress, we look squarely at traffickers, pimps, and victimizers and say we must do a better job in protecting our citizens. As a result of this legislation, our laws will no longer be manipulated and used as a cover for their abuse. No longer will these people be able to hide behind the shield that the internet provides you when knowingly contributing to this horrible crime.

The Fresno Bee, a local daily newspaper in the San Joaquin Valley, recently ran a 6-week-long series about human trafficking in the Valley. The paper reported that nearly every 16-year-old girl in Fresno has been approached at one time or another by sex traffickers. Imagine that: nearly every 16-year-old girl in our county.

Police have seen sex trafficking victims from every high school in Fresno County and most of the junior high schools. It is horrible. This is a tragedy, and it cannot and should not be allowed to continue.

Today, we say it is time to make important changes. This legislation does that. It will help protect our children and provide them the ability to confront their abusers.

Mr. Chair, as I had said, it is time to make these important changes, and this bipartisan legislation does that. It protects our children, providing them the ability to confront their abusers, including those who knowingly promote and advertise these crimes.

Mr. Chair, I thank the gentlewoman, and I am thankful for the bipartisan leadership in this effort.

Mr. Chair, I include in the Record these excerpts from a series of articles entitled ``Slaves of the Sex Trade'' by Rory Appleton from the Fresno Bee: ``Don't kid yourself. Sex slaves are all around us--and you may know some of them'' (November 2, 2017), ``She was a hospital worker. He sold her for sex before, during and after her shifts'' (November 2, 2017), ``Police: 'Every 16-year-old girl in Fresno' has been targeted by sex trade recruiters'' (November 9, 2017), ``Once sold for sex, she now helps lead the fight against human trafficking'' (November 15, 2017), ``How do you rescue women forced to walk the streets at night? It's not easy'' (November 16, 2017), ``To break the cycle of children sold for sex, the legal system is trying something new'' (November 28, 2017), ``All of us must help beat the scourge of human trafficking. Here's what you can do'' (December 7, 2017). The full series can be found at http://www.fresnobee.com/news/ special-reports/human-trafficking/.

These seven articles demonstrate the impact of sex trafficking on our communities. I commend the Fresno Bee on their important reporting.

[From the Fresno Bee, Nov. 2, 2017]

Don't Kid Yourself. Sex Slaves Are All Around Us--and You May Know Some

of Them

(By Rory Appleton)

Rebecca Rodriguez-Brown still remembers the room where he

imprisoned her--the charming man she met and fell in love

with while still a teenager. She mapped it out with her hands

as she sat in a central Fresno office nearly 20 years later.

``They would have a little microwave there, and they would

have a little ice chest right there by the sink,'' she said.

``I still remember the color of the ice chest.''

Rodriguez-Brown isn't sure whether the room was in an

apartment or hotel. But she does remember that for seven

months she was kept in this room under guard and forced to

perform whatever sex act the strangers entering the room

asked for. The room was punishment for refusing to do the

same at her trafficker's home. Her captors brought her all of

her meals. If she defied them, she'd be beaten--sometimes

with her hands bound.

The Bee normally does not identify the victims of sexual

assault, however Rodriguez-Brown agreed to be named.

Her story is not uncommon in Fresno, or anywhere in the

world. It is one of cyclical abuse, habitual arrest and

unspeakable trauma. Women and children are bought and sold

every day in Fresno--online, in street corners, while at

school. They are raped, branded and beaten. They are taught

that they are the problem, not the people who force them into

this life--causing psychological scars that may never heal.

It is what many refer to as ``modern-day slavery.''

Full article is available at: http://www.fresnobee.com/ news/special-reports/human-trafficking/article182090031.html ____

[From the Fresno Bee, Nov. 2, 2017]

She Was a Hospital Worker. He Sold Her for Sex Before, During and After

Her Shifts

(By Rory Appleton)

At her lowest point, the days seemed to stretch on forever.

Eight hours a day as a hospital administrator, five hours--

sometimes more--as a prostitute.

He would wake her up at 4 a.m. to walk the streets. She

hated it--not that the house calls were much better. But when

she begged to stop, he would convince her the fault was hers.

Eventually, she would apologize and allow him to drop her off

before the sun was up.

``He wanted at least $300 before I went to work at the

hospital,'' she said.

So she would work the streets for three hours before

starting an eight-hour day scheduling appointments in the

nephrology unit of a San Diego hospital--a job she had

enjoyed before she met him. He eventually forced her to have

sex with men during her lunch break, in addition to before

and after work. On the weekends, he took her to neighboring

cities--a common tactic to avoid law enforcement or reach a

new clientele.

``If it were up to him, I would have never slept,'' she

said.

The mood-altering drug Xanax helped with the anxiety

stemming from the intense guilt she felt. She was ashamed to

talk to her friends and family--not that she could have if

she wanted to. He had her phone now, and he made sure she

never heard about her mother's attempts to contact her.

This woman, now 34, is one of thousands who are sex-

trafficked in California each year and one of hundreds of

victims now living in the central San Joaquin Valley.

Full article available at: http://www.fresnobee.com/news/ special-reports/human-trafficking/article182089821.html ____

[From the Fresno Bee, Nov. 9, 2017]

Police: `Every 16-Year-Old Girl in Fresno' Has Been Targeted by Sex

Trade Recruiters

(By Rory Appleton)

It was about 2 p.m. on a Tuesday when the 15-year-old girl

left her central Fresno hotel room. She climbed into a car

driven by a stranger, who would take her to another stranger

with whom she had agreed to have sex for money.

If it had been a few minutes later, the girl could have

easily blended in with children walking home from school. She

was not dressed provocatively; she wore a red Fresno State

sweatshirt and jeans. She was not wearing excessive makeup.

She carried a backpack.

Who knows how many times she had followed this pattern--

strange men and strange cars. Online advertisements showed

her in various states of undress.

That's how the vice unit of the Fresno Police Department

found her. Today, these strangers were both undercover

officers. Tonight, she will be safe.

``She said she hasn't eaten in five days,'' Sgt. Curt

Chastain said. ``No real family--an unreported runaway. She's

in the sex trade to survive.''

``She wants help,'' he continued. ``She wants to be in

school, but mom won't sign her up.''

One of Chastain's undercover detectives confirmed this is

not a rare occurrence.

``I've had (sex trafficking) victims from every high school

in Fresno County--and most junior high schools,'' the

detective said. The Fresno Bee is not identifying him due to

the sensitivity of his work. These traffickers, he added, use

a variety of tactics to lure children and young women into

``the life.''

Full article available at: http://www.fresnobee.com/news/ special-reports/human-trafficking/article183592286.html ____

[From the Fresno Bee, Nov. 15, 2017]

Once Sold for Sex, She Now Helps Lead the Fight Against Human

Trafficking

(By Rory Appleton)

Arien Pauls doesn't look like someone who's been through

hell.

She flashes an easy smile as she speaks. Her voice is soft,

but her words are deliberate and flow with eloquence. She has

a distinct rockabilly style, with one arm bearing a tattoo

modeled from Disney's ``The Little Mermaid'' and a hair clip

featuring two large pink roses.

Looking at her, it's hard to imagine that a man she loved

forced her into slavery. For four years, Pauls was sold for

sex on streets and in hotel rooms across the western half of

the United States. She was barred from contacting her friends

or family. She was arrested multiple times and treated like a

criminal--a stigma that even now, five years later, is

difficult to shake.

Her worst moments seem unimaginable.

Pauls' trafficker--a man she believed to be her boyfriend--

refused to take her to a hospital when one of the men he sold

her to raped her. When she became pregnant with her

trafficker's baby, he forced her into an illegal, late-term

abortion. When her reeling body began to produce breast milk

after the abortion, her trafficker saw it as a moneymaker:

Those with certain fetishes would pay extra now, he told her.

It took a daring late-night escape--her trafficker's SUV

roaring behind her getaway car on a Las Vegas street--to get

out of that life. But once she returned to Fresno, her arrest

record kept her from working in her chosen career, and she

has struggled with the mental scars inflicted during her past

life.

Full article available at: http://www.fresnobee.com/news/ special-reports/human-trafficking/article184943988.html ____

[From the Fresno Bee, Nov. 16, 2017]

How Do You Rescue Women Forced to Walk the Streets at Night? It's Not

Easy

(By Rory Appleton)

For decades, the women rescued from the hotel rooms and

apartments in Fresno where they had been raped, beaten and

forced to have sex with strangers for money had few

alternatives.

The first--and it was seldom optional--was jail. They could

also go to rehab, provided they had a drug problem. But more

often than not, they returned to the sex trade.

That is no longer the case.

In 2012, human trafficking became a crime in California,

carrying with it new language for dealing with the crime and

harsher penalties for traffickers. Local law enforcement

found success against traffickers by treating girls and women

in the sex trade as victims, not complicit criminals.

Over the past few years, a growing network of advocates has

added new avenues of help for the hundreds of women who are

trafficked. These groups have provided victims with shelter,

counseling and the tools to rebuild their lives.

Many who work with human trafficking victims consider the

practice to be modern-day slavery. If that's true, this

advocacy coalition is the underground railroad.

Full article available at: http://www.fresnobee.com/news/ special-reports/human-trafficking/article184943793.html ____

[From the Fresno Bee, Nov. 28, 2017]

To Break the Cycle of Children Sold for Sex, the Legal System is Trying

Something New

(By Rory Appleton)

Defense attorney Kristin Maxwell remembers when a client

came to her Fresno office shortly after being discharged from

a hospital.

The teenage girl had been beaten, raped and dumped in a

neighboring county. Police found her unconscious, lying naked

in an alley.

``There are some parts of the body that bruise easily, and

some that don't,'' said Maxwell, who's worked in the Fresno

County Public Defender's office for 11 years. ``Looking at

her, you knew she had been through it. She had been beaten

really badly.''

This case stands out for its brutality, Maxwell said. But

it was the sheer number of human trafficking cases crossing

her desk when she took control of the Public Defender's

juvenile office in 2015 that shocked her into action.

The legal community has partnered with advocacy groups, law

enforcement and the Fresno County Probation Department to

improve the criminal justice system in an effort to get

children out of the sex trade permanently. Their work will

soon bear fruit: On Jan. 19, Fresno County's juvenile court

will establish a courtroom dedicated solely to human

trafficking cases.

This new court--patterned after similar courts in

Sacramento, Los Angeles and other California counties--will

allow a judge with specialized training to work with the

various partner agencies to ensure children caught up in the

sex trade receive help that's customized for their needs.

Full article available at: http://www.fresnobee.com/news/ special-reports/human-trafficking/article186937063.html ____

[From the Fresno Bee, Dec. 7, 2017]

All of Us Must Help Beat the Scourge of Human Trafficking. Here's What

You Can Do

(By Rory Appleton)

Pimps have ensnared Fresno middle-school students who were

selling their bodies for extra spending money. Young women

have been tricked, blackmailed and forced into having sex

with strangers to support men they believed were their

boyfriends. People--especially children--with low self-

esteem, mental illness, unstable home lives or living in

poverty are the preferred targets of an industry operating in

the shadows.

Human trafficking is a complex issue. Police, advocacy

groups and the Fresno legal community have formed a unique

partnership to tackle the growing problem in new ways. But

what can the rest of Fresno do to fight human trafficking?

Talking to your children or younger family members about

the issue can educate them

and help keep them out of harm's way. Nonprofits that help

trafficking victims would welcome financial donations.

Residents can urge governments to allocate more resources to

those policing and prosecuting traffickers. And far larger

strides can be made to address a major underlying issue in

the sex trade: the people, mostly men, who buy sex.

Full article available at: http://www.fresnobee.com/news/ special-reports/human-trafficking/article188526804.html

Mr. Chair, I thank the gentlewoman from Alabama, my friend, Mrs. Roby, for her fearless leadership and support on this issue.

Today we bring, Mr. Chair, H.R. 1865, the Allow States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act, or FOSTA, to the floor, finally.

Mr. Chair, I want to thank my partners on the other side of the aisle, my dear friends, Congresswoman Joyce Beatty and Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, for their tireless support on this effort.

The sad truth is that sex trafficking is a crime as old as the Nation itself. Over the past few years, Congress has routinely taken bipartisan action to fight it, yet sex trafficking seems to continue unabated. This is largely because the methods of recruitment and sale of sex trafficking victims have evolved with technology, and U.S. laws have remained stagnant.

Today, when the House votes on FOSTA, we will be sending a clear message: businesses that sell human beings online can no longer do so with impunity. Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act explicitly allows enforcement of Federal criminal law, but courts have mistakenly found that it does not allow robust enforcement of State criminal law.

Last summer, 50 State attorneys general called on Congress to untie their hands to allow them to bring justice to the websites that sell our children and the victims. Empowering our State and local prosecutors is in the best interests of the American people. Federal prosecution is discretionary, and the vast majority of crimes are prosecuted at the State and local level.

Most websites engaging in the online sex trade are first identified at the local level and should be quickly addressed before they ever reach the size of Backpage.com. Without proper State and local enforcement, there is no real

criminal deterrent against businesses looking to enter the sex trade. Today, we will change that.

FOSTA will allow prosecutors across the country to protect their communities without fear of section 230 preemption. FOSTA will produce more prosecutions of bad actor websites, more convictions, and put more predators behind bars. It will provide a meaningful criminal deterrent so that fewer businesses will ever enter the sex trade and fewer victims will ever be sold and raped.

Clarification of section 230 is desperately needed. In August 2017, the Sacramento Superior Court dismissed charges brought against Backpage by the California attorney general, saying: ``If and until Congress sees fit to amend the immunity law, the broad reach of section 230 of the Communications Decency Act even applies to those alleged to support the exploitation of others by human trafficking.''

Today, Mr. Chair, Congress sees fit to amend the immunity law to hold accountable websites that support exploitation. FOSTA also creates a new crime targeting websites that are intentionally promoting prostitution, and it encourages States to use or adopt similar laws.

Unfortunately, sex trafficking ads are written to evade law enforcement. Looking at these ads, you usually can't tell that force, fraud, and coercion were used against the victim or that the person depicted in the ad is a minor.

Because indications of knowledge of sex trafficking are typically hidden, it is nearly impossible for prosecutors to demonstrate beyond a reasonable doubt that the website operators knew that the ads involved sex trafficking. This is why prosecutors tell me that they would oftentimes prefer to use prostitution laws instead of sex trafficking laws when charging these websites.

Sex trafficking laws are written to target pimps, johns, and businesses, but are not always the best tool against the online sex trade. FOSTA gives prosecutors the freedom to use both State sex trafficking laws and the State prostitution laws, and lets prosecutors decide how best to do their jobs.

Importantly, prosecutors will be able to seek a higher penalty for websites that promote prostitution and recklessly contribute to sex trafficking. Online sex trafficking is flourishing in America because there are no serious legal consequences for the websites that profit from the exploitation of our most vulnerable.

FOSTA, combined with the SESTA Walters amendment that adds back in victim-centered provisions from my original language, will finally create these serious legal consequences.

Today we are voting to keep our commitment to trafficking survivors, both by empowering them to hold accountable the websites that stole them and by arming prosecutors with the tools they need to ensure that the most vulnerable members of our society are never sold online in the first place.

I trust that my colleagues will join me in this vote to fundamentally transform the fight against online sex trafficking in America.

Mr. Chair, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding and for bringing up the Walters amendment to H.R. 1865, the Allow States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act, called FOSTA.

The Walters amendment reinstates critical pro-victim provisions from my original bill. It also reflects the work that has been done in the Senate on these provisions, which are the meat of S. 1693, the Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act, or SESTA.

FOSTA has over 175 House cosponsors and SESTA has over 67 Senate cosponsors. These two bills depend on each other to address the problem of online sex trafficking.

Mr. Chair, we should not allow Big Tech money and special interests to try and overdefine this conversation and override our criminal justice system.

FOSTA amends section 230 to allow for stronger criminal enforcement against websites that profit from human trafficking, and SESTA amends section 230 to allow for stronger civil enforcement against websites that profit from human trafficking.

They are two sides of the same coin and they must pass together. We need both criminal and civil tools to properly combat the highly ``lucrative'' industry of online sex trafficking.

Moreover, it is imperative that we clarify that section 230 does not impair or limit the ability of trafficking victims to use the Federal private right of action that Congress clearly provided in the Trafficking Victims Protection Act.

Two years ago, the First Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that there is a fundamental tension between these private right of action and section 230. Today, by voting ``yes'' on the Walters amendment, the House will dispel this tension. No website is immune from civil liability for knowingly facilitating the sale of trafficking victims.

Mr. Chair, I thank the gentlewoman from Alabama for yielding.

Mr. Chair, in recent years, sex trafficking has moved from the streets to the internet. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children has witnessed an 846 percent increase in suspected child sex trafficking reports. Eighty-one percent of these reports concern online trafficking facilitated by websites that help traffickers post advertisements of child victims.

I find it hard to imagine that if a neighborhood business hosted a slave auction, the auctioneer would not be considered liable. But that is actually what is happening with websites like backpage.com and hundreds others.

I have spoken with State and local prosecutors across America who want to hold online advertisers accountable for facilitating traffic and promoting prostitution, but they cannot.

Section 230 has been interpreted so broadly that courts have ruled in favor of backpage.com in criminal and civil cases, despite the website's clear criminal conduct. These rulings defy congressional intent.

Twenty-two years ago, Senator Jim Exon from Nebraska, the sponsor of the Communications Decency Act, stated that ``the information superhighway should not become a red-light district.''

Section 230 was an amendment to the CDA that intended to motivate websites to screen explicit content in ``good faith,'' and to shield websites from unfair liability for third-party content. However, section 230 was never intended to shield websites from liability for criminal conduct.

Congress did not intend to allow businesses to commit trafficking crimes online that they could never commit offline. It never meant to imply that criminal conduct can hide behind the defense of legitimate publishing or editing.

H.R. 1865 is a long-overdue clarification of section 230 explaining to America's courts that State and local prosecutors are not handcuffed from protecting their communities and that the State laws should be freely enforced against websites that unlawfully promote prostitution and sex.

Mr. Chair, the Jackson Lee amendment will help us track the use of this new crime, and I am delighted to support it. I thank the gentlewoman for offering it.

Mr. Chair, I am horrified that children and adults are sold on the internet like a T-shirt or takeout. I am horrified that human beings are sold with impunity and have no access to justice.

Today, please vote ``yes'' for justice.

Mr. Chair, I thank Congresswoman Lee for yielding and for her extraordinary leadership on this issue and in so many other areas.

Mr. Chair, I rise in strong, strong support of H.R. 1865. It is transformative legislation. It is important and it will save lives. It is a historic legislative achievement. I thank my colleague Ann Wagner for her selfless, dedicated, effective leadership in bringing this bill to the floor. I thank my colleagues, Joyce Beatty and Sheila Jackson Lee, Congresswomen Roby and Walters, really everyone, and the leadership of this body for bringing this bill to the floor. I hope we should all pass it. It is important.

This bill clarifies that internet companies that actively advertise the sale of trafficking victims, many of whom are children and minors, are not protected by the Communications Decency Act, Section 230. When Congress enacted it 22 years ago, it never, never intended to make the internet into a red-light zone and a protected area to shield sex traffickers and corporations from selling our young people, many of whom are stolen, doped, forced into sex trafficking, and then protect them from the appeals of their parents for some type of justification, some type of recognition of the harm that they have caused.

Now, this bill, like every other sex trafficking bill, has been a bipartisan effort between Democrats and Republicans. It is landmark. It is important. And we must continue to fight this modern-day form of slavery wherever it exists, and this crime has absolutely exploded online because it is so profitable.

You can sell a gun once. You can sell illegal dope once. But they sell the human body over and over again until they die.

Mr. Chair, this is an important issue. I must tell you that we have a choice.

This has gone to the courts, and the courts have said Congress must decide whether Congress wants to shield corporations, profit-makers, exploiters--I would say--murderers of young children online, selling them for sex trafficking. So if you vote against this bill, you are shielding them. If you vote for it, you are protecting our children.

This bill removes obstacles for attorneys general throughout the country to enact State antitrafficking laws. That is why 50 attorneys general have supported it.

Victims and families will be given a pathway to justice through private civil action that they have been denied too long. Over 50 organizations have come out in support of H.R. 1865, and I include in the Record a list of those organizations.

Shared Hope International, Arlington, VA; Rights4Girls,

Washington, DC; Covenant House International, New York, NY;

ECPAT USA, Washington, DC; World Without Exploitation, New

York, NY; Mary Mazzio & I AM JANE DOE Community, Boston, MA;

Courtney's House, Washington, DC; Legal Momentum, New York,

NY; Equality Now, New York, NY; National Center on Sexual

Exploitation (NCOSE), Washington, DC; My Life My Choice,

Boston, MA; Truckers Against Trafficking, Englewood, CO;

Sanctuary For Families, New York, NY; Trafficking in America

Task Force, Gainesville, FL; CSA San Diego County, El Cajon,

CA; Villanova Law School Institute on Commercial Sexual

Exploitation, Villanova, PA; National Council of Jewish Women

New York, New York, NY; Dawn's Place, Philadelphia, PA;

Child's World America, Villanova, PA; Freedom From

Exploitation, Inc., San Diego, CA.

Women's Justice NOW, New York, NY; Children's Law Center of

California, Sacramento, CA; Carole Landis Foundation For

Social Action, Haverford, PA; The Voices and Faces Project,

Chicago, IL; NH Traffick Free Coalition, Milford, NH; The

Samaritan Women, Baltimore, MD; Free to Thrive, San Diego,

CA; Enough Is Enough, Great Falls, VA; The Lynch Foundation

for Children, Ranchero Santa Fe, CA; Bags of Hope Ministries,

Boston, MA; Hope Ranch For Women, Wichita, KS; Wings of

Refuge, Iowa Falls, IA; North Star Initiative, Lititz, PA;

Zoe Ministries, Greenwood, DE; Abolition Ohio, Dayton, OH;

Arrow Child & Family Ministries, Baltimore, MD; Consumer

Watchdog, Washington, DC; Airline Ambassadors International,

Arlington, VA; Journey Out, Los Angeles, CA; The Ricky Martin

Foundation, San Juan, PR; Praesidium Partners, Richmond, VA;

Worthwhile Wear, Silverdale, PA; Amirah, Woburn, MA; Saved in

America, Oceanside, CA; Awaken, Reno, NV; Ala Kuola,

Honolulu, HI; Glory House of Miami, Miami, FL; Generate Hope,

San Diego, CA; Refuge for Women Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV.

individual signatures

J.S., Child sex trafficking survivor, Chattanooga, TN.

Tom and Nacole S., Parents of a child sex trafficking

survivor, Chattanooga, TN.

Kubiiki Pride, Mother of a child sex trafficking survivor,

Boston, MA.

Ambassador Swanee Hunt.

Marian Hatcher, Senior Project Manager/Human Trafficking

Coordinator, Cook County Sheriff's Office, Chicago, IL.

Penny M. Venetis, Clinical Prof. of Law/Director,

International Human Rights Clinic, Rutgers Law School,

Newark, NJ.

Michelle Madden Dempsey, Professor of Law, Villanova

University Charles Widger School of Law, Villanova, PA.

Donna M. Hughes, Professor, Eleanor M and Oscar M Carlson

Endowed Chair, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI.

Jody Raphael, Senior Research Fellow, DePaul University

College of Law, Chicago, IL.

Audrey Rogers, Professor of Law, Elisabeth Haub School of

Law, New York, NY.

Katha Pollitt, Columnist, The Nation, New York, NY.

Sarah Robinson, Public Defender, Defender Association of

Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA.

Dayle Ann Hunt, Playwright, The Trauma Brain Project,

Chicago, IL.

Some corporations, like Facebook, Sheryl Sandberg, and others have stood up and said: Enough is enough; protect our children.

Mr. Chair, I include in the Record the following statement from Sheryl Sandberg of Facebook.

Sex trafficking--particularly of young girls and boys--is

one of the most heinous acts that takes place anywhere in the

world. Those of us in the United States must recognize that

these deplorable acts of buying and selling children for sex

don't just happen in other countries. They happen here all as

well--right under our noses, on our streets, and on the

Internet. We all have a responsibility to do our part to

fight this. That's why we at Facebook support efforts to pass

amended legislation in the House that would allow responsible

companies to continue fighting sex trafficking while giving

victims the chance to seek justice against companies that

knowingly facilitate such abhorrent acts.

I care deeply about this issue and I'm so thankful to all

the advocates who are fighting tirelessly to make sure we put

a stop to trafficking while helping victims get the support

they need. Facebook is committed to working with them and

with legislators in the House and Senate as the process moves

forward to make sure we pass meaningful and strong

legislation to stop sex trafficking.

Mr. Chair, today, 22 years after

Congress passed the CDA, we have the opportunity to declare that the intention of the law was never to protect traffickers and companies that actively sell and enable them to continue this incredible, horrible, life-taking crime of promoting sex trafficking and selling our young people.

I urge a strong ``no'' vote. Let's make it unanimous. Let's show the world, the courts, the families, the victims where we stand.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of H.R. 1865, the Allow States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act of 2017, and urge my colleagues to do the same.

This legislation will finally make a meaningful difference in combating online sex trafficking. For too long, bad actor websites have operated with impunity in selling young women and girls forced into the commercial sale of sex. They have, beyond any shadow of a doubt, profited off the misery of others. They have convinced courts to misapply the Communications Decency Act, a Federal law that was originally intended to encourage websites to police content and rid platforms of illegal content. They have misused the Communications Decency Act as a shield to avoid criminal liability in State courts.

Given the number of local websites that are deliberately selling women and children for sex, we must now take steps to allow Federal, State, and local prosecutors to hold these websites accountable and dismantle these illicit, heinous online markets.

H.R. 1865 will ensure vigorous criminal enforcement against bad actor websites by creating a new Federal law to prosecute these sites and explicitly permitting States the ability to enforce comparable laws.

While the Federal code does not criminalize the knowing advertisement of sex trafficking, this statute is, unfortunately, of limited utility. Nearly all websites responsible for rampant sex trafficking advertisements host ads that rarely, if ever, state that the victim being sold is either underage or subject to force, fraud, or coercion.

Therefore, this bill takes measures to target websites that are deliberately promoting and facilitating prostitution.

Additionally, H.R. 1865 provides for an aggravated violation that applies to websites that promote prostitution in reckless disregard of the fact that sex trafficking is occurring on their platform.

I want to highlight, Mr. Chairman, an amendment that will be offered to this legislation. Though I applaud my colleague's dedication to this issue and fully appreciate the suffering of victims, I have concerns about this amendment which states that the provisions of the bill apply regardless of whether the conduct alleged occurred or is alleged to have occurred before, on, or after such date of enactment.

Had regular order been followed, Mr. Chairman, the Judiciary Committee would certainly have fixed this issue, which I believe could subject this legislation to a constitutional challenge under the ex post facto clause, a concern shared by the Justice Department.

I hope we have an opportunity to fix this problem as we move forward with the bill, and I include in the Record a

letter from the Department of Justice highlighting these constitutional concerns.

Office of Legislative Affairs,

U.S. Department of Justice,

Washington, DC, February 27, 2018.

Hon. Robert W. Goodlatte,

Chairman, Committee on the Judiciary,

House of Representatives, Washington, DC.

Dear Mr. Chairman: This letter presents the views of the

Department of Justice (Department) on H.R. 1865, the ``Allow

States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act of

2017.'' The Department supports H.R. 1865. We applaud House

and Senate legislative efforts to address the use of websites

to facilitate sex trafficking and to protect and restore

victims who were sold for sex online. The Department

appreciates this opportunity to provide technical assistance

to ensure that these goals are fully met through narrowly

tailored legislation. The Department also notes that a

provision in the bill raises a serious constitutional

concern.

Every day, trafficking victims in America appear in online

advertisements that are used to sell them for sex. The

Department works diligently to hold the traffickers

accountable for their crimes but faces serious challenges.

This is due in part to the high evidentiary standard needed

to bring federal criminal charges for advertising sex

trafficking, but also because the Communications Decency Act

(CDA), codified at 47 U.S.C. Sec. 230, bars our state and

local partners from bringing any criminal action that is

inconsistent with that section. H.R. 1865 addresses both

issues and would take meaningful steps to end the industry of

advertising trafficking victims for commercial sex.

Nevertheless, Mr. Chairman, I will support this bill since its strong reforms will allow State and local prosecutors to vigorously enforce the law against some of the worst criminals in society today.

This bill will allow law enforcement to effectively dismantle this lucrative, expansive, immoral, reprehensible market. Our children and vulnerable women are not commodities to be sold. This legislation emphatically affirms that fact. It will truly make a difference.

I would like to commend my colleague Mrs. Wagner from Missouri and her dedicated staff for their work on this legislation and for their continued dedication to combatting sex trafficking and supporting victims.

Mr. Chairman, I encourage my colleagues to support this important legislation.

Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

This amendment makes small but important changes to the bill.

Most significantly, the bill narrows the class of defendants covered in the new section 2421A, which criminalizes the deliberate promotion or facilitation of prostitution. As the creation of this law is designed to target bad actor websites, this amendment narrows defendants covered to those who own, manage, or operate an interactive computer service with the intent to promote or facilitate prostitution. This amendment avoids creating a broad Federal law that covers conduct that is not necessarily Federal in nature.

Second, the manager's amendment strikes language from the underlying bill's civil recovery provision that was intended to encourage victims to successfully plead their cases. However, the language could have created a risk of confusion by the courts, and so it has been removed.

Further, the manager's amendment clarifies that mandatory restitution provision is only applicable to victims of sex trafficking, not to those who voluntarily have engaged in prostitution.

Finally, the manager's amendment adds language inadvertently omitted from the original bill, which permits defendants who face an aggravated charge for promoting or facilitating more than five people to assert the statute's affirmative defense if a defendant can prove that advertisements were targeted to a locality where promotion or facilitation is legal.

Mr. Chairman, this manager's amendment is the product of the Judiciary Committee's repeated and thoughtful effort to produce a workable and technically sound piece of legislation. This bill will do a great deal to protect victims of sex trafficking. I am proud of the hard work by my colleagues and staff to ensure that the criminal law is appropriately tailored to achieve that goal.

Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to support this amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to support the amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.