“The horrific nature of this crime can shock individuals and communities to such a degree that they are unable to conceive such heinous crimes are even possible, much less taking place right in their rural communities”, said Rep. Cramer.
On May 20, 2014 Rep. Kevin Cramer of North Dakota asked for and was granted permission to address the United States House of Representatives for one minute regarding the problem of human trafficking:
“Mr. Speaker, in New Town, North Dakota, right in the heart of the Bakken oil patch, an elderly woman once told an FBI agent that she knew human trafficking was taking place in her community because she saw young girls taking different men back and forth to various rooms. And when the agent asked the woman for her name so they could investigate, she was too afraid to report it.
The horrific nature of this crime can shock individuals and communities to such a degree that they are unable to conceive such heinous crimes are even possible, much less taking place right in their rural communities.
All around the country, law enforcement and public citizens are encountering difficulties in identifying human trafficking victims, and our justice system is too often ill-equipped to assign the appropriate penalties for a fast-growing international crime, such as human trafficking. And what is worse, too often, the victims are treated as criminals, dropped into a judicial system not equipped to provide the health and protective services that these women and young girls often need.
I held a roundtable with my friend and colleague, Representative Erik Paulsen from Minnesota, earlier this month in Williston, North Dakota. Along with being the fastest growing micropolitan in the Nation, Williston is newly dealing with an increase in human trafficking. It was encouraging to hear how local law enforcement and victims’ advocates in Williston are working hard with Federal agents and officers to reverse the trend and to prevent trafficking while restoring the lives of victims, but they are very much in need of a series of Federal laws designed to aid the very important work that they are doing.
To show our commitment, Congress will enact legislation like the Stop Exploitation Through Trafficking Act, which ensures minors who are trafficked are treated as victims and not as defendants, and the SAVE Act of 2014, which helps address the root of the problem by making it a Federal crime to profit from knowingly advertising for the commercial exploitation of minors and trafficking victims.
Mr. Speaker, we know the most important work to stop human trafficking will be done on the ground by our State and local law enforcement, Federal agents, community members, victims’ advocates, the faith-based community, and others, but they need our help to make laws to better support their efforts. So I urge all of my colleagues to support the five bills that will be on the floor tonight to help get our criminal justice and victim support systems caught up with a rapidly evolving international crime”, said Rep. Cramer (source: Congressional Record http://thomas.loc.gov/).
Note: Congressman Kevin Cramer was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives on November 6, 2012. He serves on the House Committee on Natural Resources and the Science, Space and Technology Committee. Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings appointed Kevin Cramer to three sub-committees including Energy and Mineral Resources, Public Lands and Environmental Regulation and Indian and Alaska Native Affairs. House Science, Space and Technology Committee Chairman Lamar Smith appointed Mr. Cramer to the Energy Subcommittee, which has jurisdiction over such science as hydraulic fracturing and clean coal technologies, and as Vice-Chairman of the Subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight, which has general and special investigative authority on all matters within the jurisdiction of the full-committee. Congressman Cramer also serves along with Rep. Bill Owens (NY-21) as Co-Chairman of the Northern Border Caucus, fostering continued growth in the U.S.-Canada relationship.