House Subcommittee Examines Efforts to Combat Human Trafficking

On May 2, the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations held a hearing, “Winning the Fight Against Human Trafficking: The Frederick Douglass Reauthorization Act.” The hearing focused on efforts to combat human trafficking, specifically H.R. 2200, the Frederick Douglass Reauthorization Act of 2017. The Foreign Affairs Committee approved H.R. 2200 on May 3 (see The Source, 5/5/17).

The hearing also emphasized the importance of increasing efforts to prevent girls in the foster care system from becoming victims of sex trafficking. According to the hearing, 60 percent of child victims of human trafficking have been in the foster care system.

The following witness testified:

• Robert Benz, co-founder and executive vice president, Frederick Douglass Family Initiatives;
• Jo Becker, advocacy director, children’s rights division, Human Rights Watch;
• Tim Gehring, policy and research manager, International Justice Mission;
• Melysa Sperber, director, Alliance to End Slavery and Trafficking; and
• Malika Saada Saar, human rights lawyer, co-founder and former executive director, Human Rights Project for Girl(s).