Hudson Supports Bill to Combat Human Trafficking

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representative Richard Hudson (NC-08) released the following statement after the House passed the bipartisan Put Trafficking Victims First Act of 2019 (H.R. 507):

In addition, today Rep. Hudson attended the National Prayer Breakfast and wore a red X as part of the “END IT Movement” to shine a light on modern-day slavery.

Rep. Hudson with his guests for the National Prayer Breakfast, Mrs. Laura Jane Hunter and Reverend Dean Hunter of Central Baptist Church in Kannapolis.

There is a need domestically for improved victim services, trauma-informed support, better data on the prevalence and trends of human trafficking, and effective mechanisms to identify and rescue trafficking victims. The Put Trafficking Victims First Act is an important step toward addressing these critical needs. This legislation will help provide stakeholders—from law enforcement to prosecutors to service providers to government officials—with the guidance and information they need to better serve victims of trafficking.

Rep. Hudson is a cosponsor of the bill, which also passed the House last Congress. In partnership with the Trump Administration, Rep. Hudson continues to make combating human trafficking in our communities a top priority. Last year, he hosted a roundtable discussion in Salisbury with local law enforcement officials, faith leaders, and nonprofit groups who are on the front lines fighting the scourge of human trafficking. In addition to discussing new ideas to reduce human trafficking while providing necessary assistance to victims, they discussed the legislation Congress passed and President Trump signed into law to combat online sex trafficking. Since the law took effect, we have seen more than a 70% decrease in online sex trafficking advertisements.