Rep. Eric Cantor (R., Va.) called for the passage of anti-human trafficking legislation Tuesday on the House floor.
"I rise today in strong support of the bipartisan anti-human trafficking bills being considered by the House today," Cantor said.
"While this problem may seem thousands of miles away, this horror is inflicted on millions of families every year, including here in the United States. The Department of Homeland Security estimates that more than 20 million men, women, and children are victims of human trafficking around the world and that more slaves exist today than at any other time in history…Domestically, our own Department of Justice estimates that as many as 100 to 300,000 American children are in danger of being trafficked for commercial sex every year," he continued.
Cantor stressed that individuals who are kidnapped have a high chance of eventually "falling victim" to criminal groups, violent gangs, and "fear mongering" terror organizations.
"We'll do all of this in pursuit of our ultimate goal of ending human trafficking both domestically and abroad," he concluded.