White House stands against human trafficking
During the Clinton Global Initiative’s annual meeting on Tuesday, President Obama outlined new steps the administration is taking to end human trafficking at home and abroad, including an executive order strengthening prohibitions against human trafficking in government contracting. Human trafficking, which the President referred to as “modern slavery,” is destroying the lives of more than 20 million victims globally.
The executive order signed by President Obama on Tuesday strengthens protections against human trafficking in all federal contracts and subcontracts, including activities like misleading recruitment practices, charging employment recruitment fees or confiscating employees' identification documents. It also provides training and guidance to help those who might encounter human trafficking victims such as immigration judges, transportation personnel, and federal prosecutors be better equipped to detect trafficking wherever it exists, and to help ensure that victims are always treated as victims and not criminals.
The Senate Judiciary Committee, which Senator Chris Coons is a member, held a hearing in September 2011 to discuss reauthorizing the Trafficking Victims Protection Act, which was introduced by Senator Patrick Leahy, chairman of the Judiciary Committee.
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee held a hearing in July to discuss a long-term strategy to end human trafficking. In his role as chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on African Affairs, Chris also led the Senate in taking a stand against African warlord and the leader of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), Joseph Kony, who has been terrorizing central Africa, destroying villages, and forcing children into trafficking. The Senate adopted a resolution in August introduced by Chris to condemn the crimes against humanity committed by Joseph Kony and the LRA, supporting ongoing international efforts to remove Kony from the battlefield, and calling for the U.S. to continue to enhance its mobility, intelligence and logistical support of regional forces protecting civilians and pursuing the LRA.