Reinstate Terminated Programs that Counter Human Trafficking, Child Labor, etc.

Today I take pen in hand to write an urge you, in the strongest possible terms to use all legislative and legal action to reinstate the many programs combating child labor, forced labor, and human trafficking terminated illegally by the Trump Administration. I bring this issue to the forefront in light of the demand for transparency in the Epstein case, but there are thousands of stories of victims left untold and unresolved, because of Trump and a complicit Republican Congress. Many of these programs were supported in the past by Republican, but no longer. They are clearly uncaring, or in some cases, actively covering up their own involvement in forced labor at companies in their states, or worse, are covering up their own crimes by getting rid of programs that work on these cases. Whatever the warped reasoning by Trump and his sycophants, the termination of many of these programs — authorized by Congress — is unacceptable and risks undermining decades of progress in protecting vulnerable workers worldwide. These vital initiatives, supported by over $500 million in grants, covered a wide range of interventions across 40 countries, from preventing child labor in agriculture to addressing human rights abuses in supply chains. In Honduras alone, a $13 million grant had already helped over 6,000 children access education and trained 500 labor inspectors. Children make up 38% of human trafficking victims globally, with girls increasingly trafficked for sexual exploitation and forced labor, while boys are primarily trafficked for forced labor and criminal activities. An estimated 160 million children are involved in child labor. Cutting these programs undermines the United States' commitment to combating these egregious human rights violations and protecting the most vulnerable. I urge you to take all legislative, legal, and court action to reinstate funding for these critical programs immediately. The United States must continue to be a leader in upholding international labor standards and collaborating with the UN's International Labor Organization to tackle child labor, forced labor, and human trafficking. Prioritizing corporate interests over human rights is unacceptable. This is a moral imperative. Thank you for your attention to this matter.