Action: Tell the House to Fund Crucial Services for Human Trafficking Survivors

How We Won

Jun 16, 2010

This weekend, Congress passed the omnibus Commerce, Justice, and Science Appropriations bill, which included great news for human trafficking survivors and those who serve them, to the tune of increased funding for human trafficking victim services. Thanks to the over 5,000 of you who wrote in asking the House to support this crucial funding. Chairman Mollohan and Ranking Member Wolf heard you loud and clear! This bill is now on President Obama's desk for signature, and the likelihood he will sign it is high.

Today, we are at a crucial moment in the fight against human trafficking: the House Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies is about to decide whether or not to provide $15 million for services for survivors of human trafficking. Please, write to Committee Chairman Mollohan and Ranking Member Wolf to urge them to fund services for victims of human trafficking today! 

The upwards of 17,500 people who are trafficked into the United States, plus the tens of thousands of Americans trafficked internally each year, are in desperate need of services like medical care, counseling, legal assistance, shelter, education, and employment in order to recover from horrific abuses and rebuild their lives. Without adequate funds those services in the U.S. will be underfunded and inaccessible for many survivors.  For many trafficking survivors, these services are the key to a new life after the horrible ordeal of slavery.

The Senate Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies Subcommittee has already agreed to fund trafficking victims’ services at $15 million. Now, we are asking the House to provide the highest possible funding level to provide trafficking survivors the resources they desperately need.  Specifically, we are asking the subcommittee to commit to the following:

    •    To provide the highest possible funding level for Department of Justice grants for programs to end human trafficking and slavery;
    •     To provide a funding floor for foreign nationals in the Justice grants to ensure continuity of programs;
    •    To retain the report language requiring the Department of Justice to establish a point of contact in each U.S. Attorney Office to better coordinate human trafficking and slavery efforts in each jurisdiction; and
    •    To support the Senate report language for Human Trafficking Prosecution Units.

Please, write to Reps. Mollohan and Wolf and urge them to support the highest possible funding level for Department of Justice grants for programs to end human trafficking and slavery. By doing so, you can help trafficking victims get the resources they need to build a better, freer life.

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