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10/22/2005 Representative Chris Smith Gives House of Representatives Speech Announcing Lifetime TV Movie on 'Human Trafficking' WASHINGTON, Oct. 21 /Christian Wire Service/ -- The following text is of remarks by Representative Chris Smith to the House of Representatives announcing a Lifetime TV movie on human trafficking: [Begin Congressional Record Statement] ANNOUNCING PREMIER OF "HUMAN TRAFFICKING" ON LIFETIME TV
NETWORK --
"Do you think it is possible when you have lost your humanity to ever find it again?" So asks Helena, a fictitious but all too real human trafficking victim from Prague after describing how she was raped and abused to ICE law enforcement agent Kate Morozov, played brilliantly by Academy Award-winning actress Mira Sorvino in Lifetime TV Network's mini series Human Trafficking, to be aired next week. My wife Marie and I have watched the entire trafficking movie last night, and we were moved to tears by this extraordinarily accurate portrayal of sex slavery from the eyes of victims, and the dedicated law enforcement agents trying to effectuate their rescue. My wife and I and my staff have been fighting sex trafficking, Mr. Speaker, since the late 1990s, when there was utter disbelief about whether or not it even existed. Sadly, it does - big time. I would note parenthetically that I am the prime sponsor of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000, a comprehensive landmark law that provides for prevention, protection of victims, and prosecution and incarceration of the traffickers. I also sponsored the TPVA Reauthorization Act of 2003 as well as pending Legislation--H.R. 972. The movie tells the individual stories of exploited young women and girls from the Czech Republic, Ukraine, Philippines, Romania, Russia, and a 12-year-old girl, an American girl, Annie Gray, who was abducted by traffickers in Manila. ICE agent in charge Donald Sutherland joins Sorvino in bringing down a powerful but clever sex trafficking boss and others who use force, fraud, coercion, and even murder to enslave women. It is time, Mr. Speaker, that the ignorance, the indifference and complicity in human trafficking came to an end. Every year 800,000 people are trafficked around the world. Millions more are trafficked intra-country. And up to 18,000 are trafficked into the U.S. each year. Watch this powerful movie next week, Lifetime TV, 9 p.m., Monday and Tuesday. [End Congressional Record Statement] For additional information about Representative Christopher Smith, please visit www.house.gov/chrissmith
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