JUST PASSED: Ernst Effort to Help End Human Trafficking

WASHINGTON— U.S. Senators Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) and James Lankford (R-Okla.) had their bill, the End Human Trafficking in Government Contracts Act of 2022, pass the Senate unanimously, which guarantees the U.S. government neither funds nor participates in the human trafficking of third-country workers through our contracts overseas. The bill ends any contract implicated with human trafficking, along with contractors known to be partaking in trafficking, and eliminates U.S. taxpayer funding of these egregious crimes for good.

“The United States should take every step to end human trafficking, and that includes ensuring that not a single cent of government funding is provided to contractors who employ this heinous practice,” said Senator Joni Ernst. “Our effort will prevent our hard-earned taxpayer dollars from funding this atrocious human rights violation, and I’m thrilled to see this bill pass the Senate.”

“The Senate has finally agreed with us to prioritize confronting federal overseas contractors that utilize human trafficking. Now we need the House and President to join us,” said Senator James Lankford. “Human trafficking is immoral, illegal, and tragic. It is inconceivable that almost no one is being held accountable for trafficking in federal contracts. This must stop immediately, and now we’re one step closer to saving lives. I thank Senator Ernst for her ongoing support to get this bill into law.”

Ernst has long spoken out against these abuses, and has previously pushed an effort to crackdown on human trafficking at the U.S.-Mexico border.

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