The U.S. House of Representatives expects to pass a slew of bills this week to crack down on human trafficking in the United States and abroad in response to outrage over the militant Islamist terrorist group Boko Haram, which last month kidnapped more than 300 Nigerian girls to be sold into slavery.
A list of the proposed measures was posted on House Speaker John Boehner’s blog:
In recent weeks, people around the world have been outraged and dismayed by the kidnapping of hundreds of girls by a terrorist group in Nigeria, Africa. Boko Haram has threatened to sell the girls into slavery. These crimes are despicable and disturbing, and many Americans have prayed and hoped for the girls’ safe return.
The sad reality is that human trafficking is much more prevalent in today’s world than many realize. In the U.S. each year, as many as 300,000 American children are at risk of being trafficked for commercial sex, according to Justice Department estimates. It’s an alarming number, but what cannot be quantified is the pain and grief inflicted on parents and families when a son, daughter, brother or sister becomes a victim.