Yesterday, @POTUS invited me to the White House to sign legislation I authored—the Trafficking Survivors Relief Act. I also want to say a word about President Trump as a person, and the quiet, consequential acts of compassion that rarely make headlines. This law is both pro-law enforcement and pro-victim. Human trafficking victims are often charged with non-violent crimes like prostitution or identity theft—crimes committed because they were trafficked. Even after they escape, those convictions follow them for life, blocking jobs, housing, and stability. This law, now signed by @realDonaldTrump, allows survivors to dismiss current charges or vacate past convictions if they can show they were victims. That is TRANSFORMATIVE! It gives survivors the courage to come forward, tell their story, and finally clear their record—while empowering law enforcement to focus on the trafficking rings and cartels. One of the strongest champions of this bill is Hollie Nadel, a survivor who was trafficked for eight years. A cum laude graduate of Ithaca College, Hollie has carried prior convictions for years—convictions this law would have addressed. But President Trump went further. He issued her a full pardon. He didn’t have to. He chose to. That decision speaks volumes about how seriously he takes justice, mercy, and the dignity of individual Americans. This is something everyone can and should celebrate. Real leadership. Real compassion. Real impact. 🇺🇸

This is truly a historic night. The Trafficking Survivors Relief Act will bring criminal record relief to countless people who have been unjustly branded with crimes they committed as a direct result of their trafficking - barred from having careers, homes and freedom. Tonight the US became the first nation in the world to change this. It took NINE years to pass this and incredible leadership and advocacy. This is what is possible in Washington - not ONE objecting vote in the entire House and Senate! Thank you to @RepRussellFry who has led this effort for years with @SenGillibrand @SenHydeSmith @tedlieu @CPAC and @RepAnnWagner who first authored this bill 9 years ago. @Frusso15 @mercedesschlapp @bretttolman @RightOnCrime @3Strands_Global

Honored to be at the White House for the #FosteringTheFuture Executive Order signing, alongside incredible advocates fighting for youth aging out of foster care. Every year, 15,000 young people leave care without a permanent family. Nearly 1 in 5 face homelessness, only 59% are employed by 21, and fewer than 10% earn a bachelor’s degree. The new EO will: • Modernize child-welfare data systems • Use tech/AI to improve caregiver recruitment & matching • Publish annual state scorecards to track outcomes • Expand education & employment opportunities • Launch a platform connecting youth to housing, jobs, school & mentoring • Reinvest unused funds into education, career training & financial literacy • Increase flexibility in training vouchers • Support tax-credited scholarships for youth in care Grateful to @FLOTUS and everyone who made this possible. #WhiteHouse #FosterCare #Community

Abused children are unprotected when interviews are unrecorded. And CPS fails them. Over & over. Pass the GRACIE ACT ! Experts @CPAC International Summit Against Human Trafficking ⁦@mschlapp⁩ ⁦@mercedesschlapp⁩ statesman.com/story/opinion/…

“The CCP could not undermine love. My love for my sister. My love for my people and my love for democracy.” - @rushanabbas Last week, I had the honor of celebrating my friend Rushan Abbas, a tireless advocate against the genocide of the Uyghur people, Founder of @CampaignUyghurs and member of the @taskforceonht . She just released her powerful new book Unbroken, sharing 3 generations of stories and exposing the false narratives spread by the CCP . Her book launch at the @HudsonInstitute with @OliviaEnos was especially meaningful because it’s where she first publicly exposed the ongoing genocide of her people in 2018. Unfortunately, because of this her sister Gulshan was detained by the CCP within days. Transnational repression—where authoritarian regimes target dissidents abroad through harassment, intimidation, and imprisonment—is an increasingly urgent issue. The harassment is strategic, targeted, and designed to silence those fighting for freedom, justice, and democracy. It should be recognized as a crime against humanity. The Uyghur genocide uniquely is not just a human rights concern, but it intersects the American consumer since much of our cotton and products made with lithium are likely processed in Uyghur concentration camps. This is why the bipartisan Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) which passed over 3 years ago has now stood the test of time and is proven to be one of the most impactful human rights bills in our nation and one which still stands as a model for other nations. Good policy can save lives. I’m honored to stand with Rushan and all who work to protect human rights everywhere. #Uyghur #HumanRights #TransnationalRepression

ATIP (Anti-Trafficking in Persons) Policy Dinner: Madrid,Spain 🇪🇸 We hosted an incredibly productive ATIP Policy Dinner last week with leaders from throughout the world focused on stopping child trafficking. Thanks to the Foundation United for sponsoring the event!

📢📚 Just Added to the BCN Library: "A Lawmaker’s Guide to Stopping Orphanage Trafficking" - This briefing book serves as a practical guide for legislators on how to work together to educate, advocate and legislate to end orphanage trafficking. bettercarenetwork.org/librar…

It was a very special day yesterday at the #ATIPRoundtable! To see so many state and national leaders come together to combat human trafficking was humbling and inspiring. Looking forward to bringing more efforts to Mississippi and furthering our work with #MBAT. Everyone has a role to play and I encourage you to visit the sos.ms.gov/mbat to learn more about how to get involved. A big thanks to @annebashamDC for hosting and thanks to @SenHydeSmith @MarshaBlackburn for their efforts!

Powerful testimony from @annebashamDC at @JudiciaryGOP on protecting child trafficking victims this morning. Her work directly impacts Utah, where groups like 3StrandsGlobal are fighting for kids, and I'm honored to stand with Anne in this fight!

Honored to contribute to an article exposing the CCP's state-sponsored crimes of human trafficking and forced labor against Uyghurs. Together with @taskforceonht and @annebashamDC, we are committed to confronting these atrocities.

The IASC has written about why it’s so important to prevent modern slavery and human trafficking of children after speaking at @taskforceonht. In the UK 44% of potential victims of modern slavery were exploited as children. Read here: taskforceonht.org/articles/u…

Today, President Biden signed my bipartisan bill, the REPORT Act, into law. This crucial bill will help @NCMEC fight against online child exploitation and hold perpetrators accountable. Thank you, @MarshaBlackburn, @SenOssoff, @RepSusieLee, @RepDean and @RepMMM for your support.

Restorative justice includes the restoration of a person’s ability to pursue a job and a life that they love - one of their choosing, not one forever limited by how they have been defined by their trafficker. The Congressional briefing this week for the Trafficking Survivors Relief Act was standing-room only and included some Ascend partners, survivor leadership and other colleagues from Thistle Farms who generously sponsored the event, @CPAC who provided refreshments and @Hopeforjustice @Polaris_Project Rights4Girls @SharedHope @StreetGrace. Collectively, we shared the importance of this historic legislation which will impact survivors of the fastest-growing criminal enterprise worldwide—human trafficking. Employment not only changes the circumstances for a survivor, but it often changes the most important opinion of all – how survivors see themselves. This is why it is essential for a survivor of trafficking to be able to have a career without being branded with a criminal record given to them by their trafficker. The Trafficking Survivors Relief Act helps make this possible. It is set to be introduced in the Senate this week, so please contact your Members and ask them to co-sponsor this important legislation: congress.gov/members/find-yo…

Join us for the important roundtable on the plight of #Uyghur women, #humanrights, and #genderequality in collaboration with the NGO @UN_CSW Forum parallel to the #CSW68. Tune in to CFU's social media on March 15th to learn how to fight for #Uyghur women👇

This week, was the 4th ATIP Policy Leader Roundtable in the US Senate, bringing together @RepRussellFry, Rep. @JacksonLeeTX18, the US State Department and many senior congressional staff from the most relevant offices and committees to discuss critical legislation like the Trafficking Survivors Relief Act (TSRA), the Stop Human Trafficking in School Zones Act, the Trafficking Victims Protection Act, and the 5 child protection bills(STOP CSAM, EARN IT, REPORT Act, Shield Act, and Project Safe Childhood). @RushanAbbas also addressed the Uyghur Genocide and Accountability Sanctions Act and the Uyghur Forced Labor Disclosure Act. We had record turnout with leaders from 50 organizations across the US and Europe represented. Policy plays a pivotal role in addressing the root solutions to human rights violations, and the Roundtable is a bridge between Congress and anti-trafficking leaders, fostering strategic advocacy that drives meaningful change. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee who is the author of H.R. 30 Stop Human Trafficking in School Zones Act (with Rep. Michael McCaul) remarked, “This is the most important meeting happening on the Hill today.” Thank you to everyone who joined us for this important discussion and committed to united advocacy on behalf of #survivors #children and stopping #humantrafficking and thank you to @StreetGrace for sponsoring our refreshments.

The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee held a landmark hearing yesterday with 5 Big Tech CEOs—Mark Zuckerberg (Meta), Linda Yaccarino (X), Shou Zi Chew (TikTok), Evan Spiegel (Snap), and Jason Citron (Discord). I’ve been to many Congressional hearings, but none like what I witnessed yesterday. The show of solidarity and unity amongst members of Congress to protect children was remarkable in addition to the content. There are many quotes and comments online, and @thehill has a good summary: thehill.com/business/4437994… Amongst the many excellent quotes, Senator Graham summarized it well saying that these leaders had “blood on their hands,” and Senator Klobuchar reminded us that when a Boeing plane lost a door a few weeks ago which resulted in no loss of life, no one questioned grounding an entire fleet of aircraft to investigate immediately. Everyone should watch this hearing start to finish judiciary.senate.gov/committ… This impacts us all, and so many issues were covered about not only technology but national security, privacy and the importance of accountability. As one Senator remarked, we need “Systems to hold people accountable.” When it comes to the protection of children, accountability is the missing link in so many systemic failures. Our world has changed rapidly in a few short years, and so have the threats. I sat behind a row of parents who kept their arms in the air with photos of their children as long as they were permitted. Their children were the canaries in the mineshaft. I have children myself, and it’s nearly impossible to monitor or even understand all the apps at kids’ disposal as they approach adulthood. It’s time for laws to adapt to the world in which we live, and in this Congress I’m hopeful that this will happen. #stopcsam #childprotection