This week Ascend convened the third bi-annual Anti-Trafficking in Persons (ATIP) Policy Leader Roundtable in the U.S. Senate, sponsored by our client Hope for Justice and Slave-Free Alliance.
We had a record breaking turnout with Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ), Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), and Representative Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) all speaking about their anti-trafficking legislation as well as 13 Congressional offices, the U.S. State Department J/TIP office, and 40 of the most influential anti-trafficking organizations in the United States. This happened to be the same day as the landmark House Judiciary Hearing with Attorney General Garland, and the Ranking Member of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Federal Surveillance Sheila Jackson Lee left this hearing to speak to us, answer questions and tell us what she had just shared in the hearing about the importance of prioritizing anti-trafficking.
It was an incredibly rich discussion and participants were able to ask Members of Congress questions about key anti-trafficking legislation and were also given an opportunity to provide reports from the field to Congressional offices eager to create and strengthen anti-trafficking laws.
Some of the legislation that was highlighted was:
- Trafficking Survivors Relief Act
- REPORT Act
- Frederick Douglass Trafficking Victims Protection Act
- Jimmy Deal Act
- Stop Forced Organ Harvesting Act
- Stop Human Trafficking in School Zones Act and many more…
One of the most impactful aspects was hearing from a survivor leader about the impact of the Debt Bondage Repair Act on her and her family. This legislation which passed in the previous Congress is an example of how laws can swiftly provide solutions that restore and empower survivors.
Together, we’re driving impactful policy change.
