NEW YORK – The Senate unanimously passed legislation Wednesday that would increase protections for victims of human trafficking and punishment for offenders. Rabbi Julie Schonfeld, executive vice president of the Rabbinical Assembly, the international association of Conservative/Masorti rabbis, and former member of President Obama’s White House Council for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, commended the Senate on this bipartisan bill and action, citing the need to care for all victims of trafficking and use the law to discourage this behavior for both traffickers and patrons.
“Thousands of individuals – men, women, and children – of all backgrounds have been trafficked within America’s borders,” said Rabbi Julie Schonfeld. “We must continue to provide support for all survivors and continue to fight modern-day slavery. This bill is an important step in our fight to end human trafficking and punish traffickers. Modern-day slavery, which preys upon the weakest and poorest people, is rampant in large part because it is high-profit and low risk. This bill is one important step towards reversing that equation. We applaud Senators John Cornyn (R-TX) and Patty Murray (D-WA) for working together to create a bill that both parties could support. This issue is certainly one that all Americans can agree on.”