Ann Wagner

Mrs. WAGNER

Mrs. WAGNER. Mr. Speaker, thank you for demonstrating that the House of Representatives stands with the people of Iran and condemns the country's brutal regime. I rise today to applaud the Iranian people, who are struggling for dignity, human rights, and economic security under a shadow of oppression. We are a hemisphere away, but our hearts are with the brave men and women who are raising their voices in hopes that they will finally be free from the reins of tyranny. The Iranian people are protesting the abuses of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and we must support their outrage by severely punishing and containing the IRGC with suffocating sanctions. We must work with our allies to help Iranians communicate on the internet without restrictions. We must broadcast footage from protestors and hold authorities accountable for abuses. America is an enthusiastic friend of the Iranian people. We are thrilled to support their aspirations for justice and liberty, and we stand with them as they take to the streets and demand an end to oppression.

Mrs. WAGNER

Mrs. WAGNER. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Hensarling for his support and for yielding me this time. I am proud to rise today in support of my colleague, Chairman Blaine Luetkemeyer, and urge immediate passage of his bill, the Systemic Risk Designation Improvement Act of 2017. H.R. 3312 uses a commonsense approach which would allow regulators the opportunity to weigh multiple factors before deeming a financial institution systemically important. More importantly, the bill would allow the Financial Stability Oversight Council, FSOC, to more precisely identify systemic risk by differentiating between stable activities and those that would truly threaten the financial stability of the United States. Under the Dodd-Frank Act, the Federal Reserve was given never-before- seen regulatory power to supervise those that were deemed systemically important. Unfortunately, the Fed has chosen to ignore tailoring their regulatory standards and continues to base them on asset size alone. If an institution, indeed, is a minimal risk, then it is vital to make sure those standards reflect that lower risk. Finally, it is important to note that an arbitrary threshold does matter to those caught in the SIFI web. These financial institutions often face significant compliance costs under a SIFI designation, redirecting resources that otherwise would provide consumers with affordable financial products. Chairman Luetkemeyer's bill creates a framework that promotes responsible regulations and enforces market discipline, all while protecting taxpayers from unnecessary bailouts. Mr. Speaker, again, I want to applaud my friend, the gentleman from Missouri, Chairman Luetkemeyer, for his leadership on this issue. H.R. 3312 is about smarter regulation. I urge all my colleagues to support Chairman Luetkemeyer's bill.

Mrs. WAGNER

Mrs. WAGNER. Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 672.

Mrs. WAGNER

Mrs. WAGNER. Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 656. Personal Explanation

Mrs. WAGNER

Mrs. WAGNER. Madam Speaker, it is about time we ge something real done for the American people. The people of Missouri's Second District sent me to Washington to secure their jobs and to keep a little more of their hard-earned money, and at long last we are finally doing just that. I vote ``yes'' to fix our broken tax system. I vote ``yes'' to help reignite the American economy. I vote ``yes'' to make it a little bit easier for that single mother of two, that firefighter, that teacher, that shopowner, that family of four, that veteran. I vote ``yes'' for bigger paychecks, better savings, and a more secure future. I ran for Congress to fight for the people of Missouri and to ensure that every hardworking American can realize their own American Dream.

Mrs. WAGNER

Mrs. WAGNER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman of the Capital Markets, Securities, and Investments Subcommittee, my friend and colleague, Mr. Huizenga, for his support. Mr. Speaker, first, I also wish to thank the ranking member and Congressman Foster for his support of this issue both in the 114th Congress and the 115th Congress. H.R. 3911, the Risk-Based Credit Examination Act, makes the criteria required in annual reporting by nationally recognized statistical rating organizations, or NRSROs, just that: risk based. In 2008, the financial crisis taught us many lessons. It also highlighted how NRSROs regularly gave high ratings to mortgage-backed securities. As we now know, these mortgage-backed securities led to one of the largest financial collapses, which some economists have put on par with the Great Depression of the 1930s. In 2010, with the passage of Dodd-Frank and in an attempt to prevent previous mistakes, these organizations were hit with new requirements aimed at enhancing their disclosures and transparency. Unfortunately, the one-size-fits-all annual reporting requirements mandated under section 932 of Dodd-Frank placed unnecessary burdens and compliance costs on small NRSROs that were in no way the cause of the financial crisis. Contrary to what some might believe, more regulation doesn't solve everything; in fact, it doesn't solve most things. After the Office of Credit Ratings was created in 2012 and the new requirements were put into place, smaller NRSROs found it difficult to enter the marketplace. Ironically, the large credit rating agencies-- which, again, had a hand in the financial crisis--are getting bigger, driving out small credit rating agencies and making it clear that these new regulatory requirements missed their intended mark and placed unnecessary requirements on smaller NRSROs. Mr. Speaker, a move to a risk-based model will alleviate the burden on small NRSROs and provide competition while continuing to maintain oversight and transparency over the industry. The marketplace needs this fix. As the chairman noted in a 2013 letter, SEC Chairman Mary Jo White concurred with these conclusions. Let's be clear. This bill does not eliminate reporting requirements for credit rating agencies; instead, it simply makes the criteria required in annual reports risk based. Credit rating agencies will still be held accountable, while allowing real competition in the market. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation that is both bipartisan and commonsense, something we don't often see in Washington, D.C.

Mrs. WAGNER

Mrs. WAGNER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that, in the engrossment of H.R. 3903, the Clerk be authorized to make such technical and conforming changes as may be necessary to reflect the actions of the House in amending the bill.

Mrs. WAGNER

Mrs. WAGNER. Mr. Speaker, the world is an ugly place right now. It seems that at every turn there is another crisis--another barrier to peace and prosperity, another obstacle to fight, or another cross to bear. More of our citizens, women, children, and grandkids are turning to something--anything--to mute the pain and create a false sense of peace. Society has been infected by drug addiction, a disease fueled by a loss of hope. We see it on the news, we watch it online, we feel loss in our communities. This disease is killing our friends and neighbors. Last year alone, over 64,000 lives were lost. That is more casualties in a year than we saw during the height of the Vietnam war. And this is a war, too--a war being fought in the streets and in our homes. And we are losing. Mothers, sons, daughters, and fathers are dying--from the cold streets of major cities to the quiet fields of rural America--we are all feeling the effects of the opioid crisis. What can be done? That is a question I have asked countless law enforcement officials, doctors, nurses, addiction treatment professionals, and community leaders. There is no one solution to stopping the opioid epidemic in this country. This is a man-made disaster. We must face it head on with education and awareness, addiction and recovery services, funding, prescription drug monitoring programs, and prevention. We need to prevent our loved ones from being dragged into the abyss of addiction and hopelessness. According to the CDC, three out of four new heroin users report abusing prescription opioids before using heroin. There is an easy step each of us can take to help with prevention. We can get rid of our old opioid prescriptions at home. Why chance someone taking them? Why chance your loved one being a statistic? This year alone, 153 individuals in St. Louis County have already died of an overdose. How many of them started with prescribed opioids? How many started by taking prescriptions from a parent or a family member? If we could have saved just one of these lives by throwing away old prescriptions, then isn't it worth it? This Saturday, October 28, local law enforcement and the Drug Enforcement Agency will be set up all around the country and in our neighborhoods for National Prescription Drug Take Back Day. They are providing safe and easy locations for you to throw away unused prescription drugs. I have no idea how many people can, and will, be saved by this one simple act. But multiply this one act times thousands, and now we are getting something done. Mr. Speaker, this is an epidemic this Nation has never seen. This is a disease of our own making. This week, there is something we all can do. Think about your household. Go into your hidden cupboards and see if you have old prescriptions. I bet you do. Take them. Find your nearest drug take back location and throw them away. We need to restore hope in this fight, and it won't happen overnight. It will take work, prayer, patience, and vigilance. Hope can be restored. If and when we band together to fight this epidemic, it will happen. So let's restore a little hope this week. Let's all join the fight to end the opioid epidemic.

Mrs. WAGNER

Mrs. WAGNER. Mr. Speaker, today I rise because our family will welcome its first grandchild in the coming months. This is her 17-week ultrasound, and I cannot wait to meet her. This child is already known by her mother, Julia, quoting Psalm 139: ``For You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother's womb.'' Mr. Speaker, this child is a gift from God, a gift that we have far too often abandoned in this country. Today, we know so much more. We know that, after 3 weeks, my granddaughter had a heartbeat. After 7 weeks, she began kicking her mother, like any good Wagner child would. By week 12, she could suck her thumb, and at week 20, my granddaughter knew the sound of her mother's voice and could feel pain. Mr. Speaker, I stand for life, from conception to natural death. I stand for H.R. 36, the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act. And on behalf of my granddaughter, I will continue to fight for the day when abortion is not only illegal, but it is unthinkable.

Mrs. WAGNER

Mrs. WAGNER. Mr. Speaker, I rise to remind my colleagues that October 10th is Taiwan's National Day--also known as Double Ten Day. As this day approaches, I would like to congratulate the people of Taiwan, both on this occasion and on building one of the world's great democracies. Over the past 30 years, Taiwan has come to embody the same principles we hold dear: constitutional government, democracy, freedom, and entrepreneurship. Through the democratization over the last three decades, Taiwan now serves as a strong example of democracy for not only the Asia-Pacific region, but also the world. Yet it is not just our commitment to democratic and constitutional values that ties our two countries together. Taiwan and the United States have together faced a number of challenges, and have time and again displayed a steadfast commitment to one another's security and prosperity. The Taiwan Relations Act (TRA) was enshrined in 1979, and later supplemented by the Six Assurances given by President Ronald Reagan in 1982. The TRA and the Six Assurances form the cornerstone of our relations with Taiwan, and I would like to express my strong and continuing support for these foundations to our relations. I reaffirm it today, and again congratulate the people of Taiwan on this important occasion.

Mrs. WAGNER

Mrs. WAGNER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for his leadership and support. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 311, the resolution I was honored to introduce with my colleague Representative Castro, to commemorate the Association of South East Asian Nations' 50th anniversary, and the 40th anniversary of U.S.-ASEAN relations. We intend for this resolution to raise awareness within and outside of Congress about Southeast Asia's critical role in the global order. Southeast Asia has tremendous cultural, political, historical, and religious diversity. The Association of South East Asian Nations, known as ASEAN, was formed in 1967, in part, to create a bulwark against communism in the region among the five founding nations. Today, ASEAN's goals have evolved, and the region is experiencing tremendous growth. ASEAN now includes 10 major countries in Southeast Asia, which together have established a major regional economic integration agenda. ASEAN is our fourth largest goods exports market. $102 billion of U.S. goods and services are exported to ASEAN, meaning this market rivals our $113 billion market in China. According to the ASEAN Matters for America report, 20 U.S. States send over $1 billion in goods exports to ASEAN annually, and over half of the U.S. congressional districts export over $100 million to ASEAN each year. These numbers are astounding, and they will only grow, Mr. Speaker. In January, I cofounded the bipartisan Congressional Caucus on ASEAN, along with my partner Representative Castro. The caucus acknowledges America's strategic partnership with ASEAN and attests that America must be the foremost trade and defense partner for ASEAN countries. H. Res. 311 was one of the caucus' first initiatives. The resolution encourages the enhancement of economic and defense cooperation with ASEAN. It reaffirms the U.S. commitment to continue joint efforts with ASEAN to halt human smuggling and human trafficking and urges ASEAN to improve assistance to refugees and migrants. Standing alongside our ASEAN peers is important this fall, given the rise of Chinese aggression in the South China Sea; the ethnic cleansing of Rohingya Muslims in Burma; the need to seriously engage ASEAN leaders on our North Korean efforts; the typhoon and flooding affecting the region; the enormous investment opportunities; and the upcoming ASEAN summit that the President will attend in November. I am grateful that the Speaker and the chairman, Chairman Royce, support our efforts to engage ASEAN, and I look forward to watching H. Res. 311 pass the U.S. House of Representatives.

Mrs. WAGNER

Mrs. WAGNER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to voice my support of the Russia, Iran, and North Korea Sanctions Act. These countries actively undermine U.S. national security and threaten the safety and freedoms we enjoy in the United States. Yesterday, Congress acted swiftly, voting 419-3 to defend the interests of the American people. I commend the leadership of House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Royce and Majority Leader McCarthy for moving forward strong, meaningful legislation targeting the regimes carrying out brutal human rights violations against vulnerable peoples across the globe and threatening our national security. The Obama administration, time and again, failed to hold these regimes accountable, and the outcomes of that inaction have had lasting ramifications on global stability and security. U.S. officials are warning that North Korea will soon be able to launch a nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missile. And, to be clear, North Korea will soon have the capacity to kill American citizens on American soil. These are alarming developments and the United States must act aggressively to strengthen our own missile defense and immediately restrict North Korea's access to cash. Murderous, tyrannical regimes have no place in the world, and I am confident that these bills will hold corrupt dictators accountable and advance justice for some of the world's most repressed populations.

Mrs. WAGNER

Mrs. WAGNER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call on the U.S. House of Representatives to bring my bipartisan Allow States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act to the floor. Yesterday, The Washington Post revealed that backpage.com hired a contractor to solicit and create illegal sex trafficking ads. This confirms yet again what we have long known about Backpage: it is an online slave market that actively sells America's innocent women and children for sex. If a business in America held a slave auction, it is impossible for me to imagine that the auctioneer would be able to carry on with impunity. After all, we amended the U.S. Constitution to ban slavery of all forms in the United States many years ago. But this is exactly what is happening with backpage.com. Backpage is selling our children into sex slavery, and we must hold them accountable. Backpage and other online slave markets can sell America's children over and over again because courts have misinterpreted section 230 of the Communications Decency Act to shield websites from criminal liability for the sex trafficking advertisements that they facilitate. But the Communications Decency Act, passed over 20 years ago, was never intended to create a lawless internet where people can commit sex crimes online that they cannot commit offline. In fact, this misinterpretation of the CDA is the height of irony. Speaking in favor of the CDA in 1995, then-Senator Exon said: ``The information superhighway should not become a red-light district. Once this bill passes, our children and families will be better protected from those who would electronically cruise the digital world to engage children in inappropriate communications and introductions.'' How sad his words ring today. The CDA, meant originally to protect children, has become now a safe harbor for America's pimps. The tech industry is rallying against any changes to the CDA, but freedom of speech online and the enforcement of the Nation's sex trafficking laws are in no way mutually exclusive. Sex trafficking is not a prerequisite of the free and open internet. Last year, in Jane Doe v. Backpage, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit made clear that legislation is the only remedy to any conflict between the CDA and America's sex trafficking laws. In other words, Congress must clarify to the courts that the Communications Decency Act does not protect sex trafficking, and that is precisely what the Allow States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act will do. We must bring this legislation to the floor and take a stand for victims across the country. We cannot claim to be antitrafficking advocates, then close our eyes and give a free pass to the websites that sell our children.

Mrs. WAGNER

Mrs. WAGNER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to draw attention to the Elie Wiesel Genocide and Atrocities Prevention Act, which I had the privilege of introducing in the House last week, with 27 cosponsors. Named after the courageous Nobel laureate, Elie Wiesel, this legislation honors the legacy of his life's work to expose evil around the world. Mr. Wiesel was just 15 years old when the Nazis deported him and his family to Auschwitz. Rising from literal ashes, he became a writer and spent his life defending the persecuted across the globe. He died nearly 1 year ago, but his passion for victims of injustice lives on. Elie Wiesel believed that from the Holocaust to South Sudan, from Burma to Syria, the world has witnessed far too many genocides and mass atrocity crimes. The true horror is that most of these devastating crises are, indeed, preventable. My heart aches for those whose lives are being torn apart, and the fact that over 65 million people are currently fleeing preventable crises makes clear that the U.S. Government must improve its response to these conflicts. Genocide and atrocity crimes, including war crimes, crimes against humanity, and ethnic cleansing, include shocking acts of violence perpetrated by governments and nonstate actors, resulting in the murders of millions of civilians across the globe. The Elie Wiesel Act establishes that the official policy of the United States is to regard the prevention of genocide and atrocity crimes as a core national security interest and moral responsibility. The legislation would establish an interagency mass atrocities task force to strengthen the U.S. Government's prevention and response efforts. The legislation encourages the Director of National Intelligence to include a review of countries at risk of genocide and mass atrocity crimes in his or her annual report to Congress. The bill also authorizes training for U.S. Foreign Service Officers on early signs of atrocities and transitional justice measures to ensure that America's diplomats know how to respond to conflict on the ground. Lastly, the legislation authorizes the Complex Crisis Fund to support programs to prevent emerging or unforeseen crises overseas. These tools will empower the United States to strengthen protection efforts and protect the innocent. By supporting civil society, enhancing cooperation among ethnic and religious groups, promoting accountability, and holding murderers accountable, America can promote global stability and fundamental human rights. This time, when America says ``never again,'' our actions will reinforce our platitudes.

Mrs. WAGNER

Mrs. WAGNER. Mr. Chairman, I am proud to stand before you today to speak on H.R. 10, the Financial CHOICE Act. I would like to thank Chairman Hensarling and all my colleagues on the House Financial Services Committee for their hard work on this legislation, including holding 145 hearings on Dodd-Frank and the CHOICE Act. For nearly 10 years following the financial crisis, our country witnessed one of the weakest recoveries of our lifetimes as Dodd-Frank held small businesses and families hostage and prevented our economy from growing. Now it is harder for families to qualify for a mortgage, obtain an auto loan, and access other forms of credit that they depend on every single day. The only beneficiaries from Dodd-Frank have been Washington bureaucrats, who have grown more powerful; and big banks have only grown bigger at the expense of your personal freedoms and your freedom to make your own financial decisions. Dodd-Frank has failed the American people. Instead, the CHOICE Act, which stands for creating hope and opportunity for investors, consumers, and entrepreneurs, represents a better way from this Republican Congress that will provide Americans with the financial opportunities that they deserve. The CHOICE Act is about helping Main Street, not Wall Street, and will increase lending in our communities, open up our economy, end taxpayer-funded bank bailouts, and hold Wall Street and Washington accountable. It will allow us to impose the toughest penalties on Wall Street executives who engage in fraud, deception, and self-dealing. Unlike before, executives who commit financial crimes will be held accountable, rather than innocent taxpayers and shareholders. Americans deserve relief from the regulatory burden and lack of financial options that Dodd-Frank has created. Americans deserve the ``Right'' CHOICE Act. Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 10.

Mrs. WAGNER

Mrs. WAGNER. Mr. Speaker, we need to bring accountability and transparency to a Bureau that has been thwarting congressional oversight and due process. Additionally, the CHOICE Act will increase lending in our communities, open up our economy, end taxpayer-funded bailouts, and hold Wall Street and Washington accountable. Americans today deserve the ``Right'' CHOICE Act.

Mrs. WAGNER. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to stand before you today to speak on the rule and in support of H.R. 10, the Financial CHOICE Act, which represents years of hard work by our chairman, Jeb Hensarling, and the entire Financial Services Committee. For nearly 8 years, Dodd-Frank has targeted Main Street pocketbooks and stripped families of real opportunities for financial success and independence. For instance, the CFPB has spent years removing choices and making access to financial products more difficult to obtain. Under these regulations, it is now harder for families to qualify for a mortgage, to obtain an auto loan, and to access other forms of credit that they have depended on every day of their lives. Meanwhile, the CFPB fails to monitor and prevent actual and real instances of consumer fraud like we saw with the opening of millions of unauthorized customers' accounts at Wells Fargo. Mr. Speaker, I have the privilege of chairing the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee on Financial Services, and today--today--we released a report titled, ``Was the Cop on the Beat?'' This is regarding the CFPB's wholly inadequate role in investigating the Wells Fargo fraudulent account scandal. We have received numerous records from both Wells Fargo and the OCC and others that indicate that the CFPB was asleep at the wheel when it came to investigating Wells Fargo. Unfortunately, the CFPB has produced no such documents, even under subpoena, that contradict this assertion and support the testimony of Director Cordray in front of this committee earlier in the year. This report highlights the need for reforms to the CFPB that are contained in the CHOICE Act.

Mrs. WAGNER

Mrs. WAGNER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman very much for the opportunity to co-lead this Special Order with my dear colleague, Congressman Ted Poe, for Human Trafficking Awareness Week. I was thrilled, Mr. Speaker, that yesterday the House passed my legislation, the Put Trafficking Victims First Act. Together, we can get victims of trafficking out of dangerous and abusive situations and create better, more accessible trauma-informed services. Victims don't just need to be rescued. They need opportunities to rebuild and sort through trauma and to live well. My bill advances a survivor-centered approach to addressing human trafficking that ensures the safety, confidentiality, and the well- being of victims. It encourages stakeholders to recognize symptoms of trauma and coping mechanisms that may impact victims' interactions with law enforcement, the justice system, and service providers. One of the key ways we can address the upsetting realities of human trafficking in the U.S. justice system is by giving victims a pathway to vacate and expunge their criminal records for offenses that they were forced to commit. I have met with many survivors in my home State of Missouri and across our great country who struggle to rebuild their lives because they are trailed by criminal records. Traffickers and pimps intentionally push victims to commit crimes as a means of control. My heart breaks for these women who have suffered horrendous abuse and bear the mark of a record on top of it. Criminal records make it difficult for survivors to get jobs, medical care, education, and even housing assistance. These records haunt survivors and can even lead to revictimization. Mr. Speaker, if we are serious about giving survivors of trafficking a second chance, we must enact serious, foolproof vacatur laws that erase the collateral consequences of treating trafficking victims like criminals. This is why I introduced, along with the support of many of my colleagues, the Trafficking Survivors Relief Act. This bill would give victims of trafficking relief from Federal or D.C. criminal convictions or arrests. We know well that Federal courts are not--and I underscore ``not''-- infallible, and that many victims are trafficked within the District. These women don't deserve criminal records. They deserve restitution, civil damages, and the empowerment to walk with their heads held high. I am adamant that these women get a second chance at life, that they find housing, therapy, jobs, new friends, and new chances. I am adamant that the United States of America will no longer punish people for trauma that most of us cannot even imagine. I am adamant that the United States Congress will have the moral aptitude to enact the Trafficking Survivors Relief Act. I am adamant that not one more victim of trafficking will be mistreated in our criminal justice system. Mr. Speaker, I am adamant that we pass this bill into law.

Mrs. WAGNER. I thank the gentleman. I would say, Mr. Speaker, that these online predators are the bane of our existence. It is a dark underbelly of the human trafficking and sex slavery trade that is out there, and it is absolutely unconscionable that crimes can be committed online that would not be allowed to be committed offline. We are going to go to the heart of the Communications Decency Act with my next piece of legislation that so many attorneys general and States and prosecutors and law enforcement and advocacy groups are begging for Congress to act to make sure that there is clarity so that States and the Federal Government can prosecute, and to make sure that we make the changes that are necessary in a very specific and narrow way to make sure that those online predators are not victimizing the children, women, and young boys of our land. I look forward to working with the gentleman and my colleagues on much more work in this arena.

Mrs. WAGNER. Well, I will tell the gentleman that the legislation that he and I have worked on for a number of years and that he has spent the better part of a lifetime as a judge and as a legislator on is saving lives; but, sadly, my hometown of St. Louis, Missouri, would be ranked in the top 20 counties or cities in the Nation for human trafficking. So the problem is prevalent. It exists still. What breaks my heart most of all are those children who have been victimized, whether it is by online predators or other means, those who are the most vulnerable in our society. We have been able to work with many of the safe houses, with our prosecutors, with our law enforcement, with our advocacy groups. As Congressman Poe and I both know, we can't always legislate all the ills of society away. What I appreciate about the work that we do is not only passing laws and legislation to help those victims, but also the education and awareness that is so very important. So anything that we can do to lift those advocates up, to bring a spotlight to this modern-day slavery is so very important. I commend the gentleman from Texas for his work and for the Special Order here tonight. I look forward to a day when this heinous crime, this modern-day slavery no longer exists in the United States of America.

Mrs. WAGNER

Mrs. WAGNER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Goodlatte) for his leadership on this area of human trafficking, along with the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Bass), my good friend, for all of her support on this human trafficking issue. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to present the Put Trafficking Victims First Act to the House of Representatives. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to address the concerns of victims of human trafficking across our country. Too often, victims of trafficking are overlooked and underserved. This must stop. America needs to afford trafficking victims the same justice, protections, and dignity that other victims of crime receive. In my home State of Missouri, I have met with countless survivors, along with survivors across this country, and I have listened to their painful stories. They need help to rebuild their lives, and that is exactly what my bill will do. One important place to start is in the courtroom, where we need victim-centered practices oriented toward justice and recovery. For example, victims technically have access to mandatory restitution in Federal courts, but the sad reality is that, according to one estimate, sex trafficking victims get restitution in only 14 percent of Federal sex trafficking cases. This, Mr. Speaker, is unacceptable. My bill will direct the Attorney General to make mandatory restitution mandatory and implement victim-friendly procedures in Federal criminal cases. Another big problem is that we just don't have good data on how to identify and rescue victims and put them on a path toward success. We don't really know where to find victims, what portions may be coming from foster care, or what their age, ethnicity, or other characteristics are. We can't help them if we can't find them. So we desperately need good data and reporting in order to improve victim outreach. To answer this need, my bill establishes a national working group to develop robust methodologies to determine the prevalence and trends of tracking and evaluating how to best identify victims and address their needs. My bill will establish a national survey of survivors so we can better understand how victims are accessing help. Yet another problem is that we are failing to provide trauma-informed care to victims, care that would help victims recover and cooperate with criminal investigations so we can put pimps and buyers behind bars. Lack of help for victims in the justice system can lead to revictimization, or even result in victims being criminalized for offenses they were forced to commit. That is why we will train agencies, law enforcement, and prosecutors across the country to implement victim-centered approaches to investigating and preventing trafficking. We encourage law enforcement and prosecutors to make every attempt to determine whether an individual's participation in trafficking is, in fact, free from fraud, force, or coercion before arresting or charging them. Finally, victims of trafficking are mostly served at the State level, so it is critical that States improve how they respond to victims. My bill encourages States to improve outreach, screen children entering child welfare services and the justice system, screen foreign nationals who may be labor trafficked, create safe harbor laws, and develop emergency response plans. Mr. Speaker, together we can get victims of trafficking out of dangerous and abusive situations and create better, more accessible trauma-informed services. I urge my colleagues to put trafficking victims first and to support this legislation.

Mrs. WAGNER

Mrs. WAGNER. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure. And I must say, since we do have time, that her being a champion of this in the last three Congresses that I have had the pleasure of working--and my constituents in Missouri's Second District have sent me--it is wonderful to see a working mom like her, who is juggling all of those day-to-day needs, to stand up for private sector workers who deserve the same kinds of options and flexibility that our public service has enjoyed for some 30 years. So I thank her for being a champion in this way. She is a wonderful legislator and a wonderful mother, too.

Mrs. WAGNER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Alabama for yielding, my good friend, Martha Roby, who has been such a leader on this issue. It has been my great privilege to be a sponsor of the Working Families Flexibility Act in the 113th Congress, in the 114th Congress, and now again in the 115th Congress. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the Working Families Flexibility Act of 2017, which will remove a Federal restriction on private sector employees who would like the option of comp time compensation in lieu of cash for their overtime work, the same as public sector employees. Mr. Speaker, we are talking about a voluntary choice made by employees for cash overtime or for comp time. The last thing our Federal Government should be doing is dictating how our small-business employees and entrepreneur compensation operates. Mr. Speaker, in November, Missourians and many Americans spoke loud and clear: it is time to get government out of the pocketbooks and off of the backs of hardworking Americans. Americans are also desperate for job flexibility. I know I was also as a working mom when I worked at Ralston Purina in St. Louis, Missouri. They want to have a better balance of obligations of their day-to-day jobs while taking care of family and family matters. The Working Families Flexibility Act will help us do just that. For the past 30 years, public sector employees have enjoyed the benefit of choosing voluntary paid time off, or comp time, instead of cash wages as compensation for working overtime hours. Private sector workers, who make up an incredibly large portion of our economy, should also reap this benefit. It is simply common sense. Amending this overtime restriction through this legislation will help bring our workforce standards into the 21st century and allow our workers to do their jobs while still providing them with the voluntary flexibility to raise a family, pursue a college degree, care for aging parents, or tend to the day-to-day obligations that come their way. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the Working Families Flexibility Act, as it safeguards workers' time and wages, and protects their use of the comp time they have earned. Most importantly, as we work each day to get our economy back on track, this legislation empowers the American worker with more options and flexibility that will ultimately lead to a better quality of life.

Mrs. WAGNER

Mrs. WAGNER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of life and in respect for the conscience rights of all citizens of this free Nation. I was proud to preside over the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives a few short weeks ago as we voted in favor of No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act to strike down an Obama administration policy that forces Americans to fund abortion providers. We also passed H.J. Res. 43, which is another step closer to restoring the rights of States to decide how to distribute title X funding for women's health care. The measures ensure that States are not forced to fund abortion providers like Planned Parenthood. Based on its own annual report, Planned Parenthood performs the most abortions in the United States. It commits more than 320,000 abortions every year, 887 each day. Mr. Speaker, that is one abortion every 97 seconds. Three unborn children's lives will be taken by Planned Parenthood as I stand here this morning. Recently, Planned Parenthood has begun attacking me as a supposed enemy of women's health care. Nothing could be further from the truth. All Missourians deserve quality health care, which is one reason I oppose taxpayer funding of Planned Parenthood. This organization does not provide general women's health or mammogram screenings. That is a fallacy. In the State of Missouri, there are 12 Planned Parenthood facilities scattered across our 114 counties. However, Mr. Speaker, we are grateful to have 588 healthcare clinics that prioritize women's health and wellness. That is 49 healthcare clinics for every 1 Planned Parenthood health center. So instead of driving 100 miles or more to a Planned Parenthood in Missouri, women can receive the quality care they need within their own communities. Last Congress, I voted to increase funding to those very clinics by hundreds of millions of dollars. Congress has a sincere duty to not only defund big abortion but to radically change the conversation around life issues. Members of Congress and this administration understand that life is beautiful, that children are a blessing, that abortion is not healthcare. It kills children, and it hurts women. Rest assured that our work to protect life, all life, has only just begun.

Mrs. WAGNER

Mrs. WAGNER. Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 209.