WASHINGTON, D.C.—In response to the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passing the Frederick Douglass Reauthorization Act (H.R. 2200), David Abramowitz, managing director at Humanity United Action—and a key staffer for legislators who authored the first Trafficking Victims Protection Act—released the following statement:

“We applaud the House for passing the Frederick Douglass Reauthorization Act, which reauthorizes the Trafficking Victims Protection Act. The TVPA is a critical tool for combatting modern slavery, providing a comprehensive federal response focused on protecting trafficking survivors, prosecuting perpetrators, and, particularly in this legislation, preventing future exploitation.

“Humanity United Action greatly appreciates the leadership of Representatives Chris Smith and Karen Bass, along with the bill’s other numerous bipartisan cosponsors and the bill’s focus on prevention. We also are grateful for House leadership prioritizing this important issue and bringing this bill to the floor.

“Moving forward, we urge all the House and Senate champions on this issue to continue working together in a bipartisan, collaborative manner to reauthorize the Trafficking Victims Protection Act.”