**Click Here For Video, and Here for Audio of Heitkamp Discussing Her Participation at the Sedona Forum**
FARGO, N.D. – U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp today departed for Arizona, where she will discuss with world leaders, philanthropists, and the business community her efforts to combat sex and human trafficking.
At the invitation of Cindy McCain – a leader in efforts to end human trafficking in the United States and around the world – Heitkamp was asked to participate in the McCain Institute’s annual Sedona Forum, which will also feature former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. The gathering brings together leaders to discuss current global political and humanitarian issues and look at various options and approaches to address pressing global concerns. Heitkamp will participate in a discussion about human trafficking and examining ways to combat this problem with Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Cindy McCain, the wife of U.S. Senator John McCain.
“I’m honored Cindy McCain invited me to participate in the Sedona Forum, which will help bring our current work to combat human trafficking to the attention of political, non-profit, and business leaders from around the world,” said Heitkamp. “Human trafficking – for both sex and labor – is a serious and growing problem globally, and in North Dakota, where we are seeing and hearing about increased instances of trafficking. I’m especially concerned about trafficking in Indian Country and the prevalence of exploitation of Native women and children. We can’t solve this problem overnight, but by shining a bright light on it we can help reduce human trafficking in North Dakota, around the country, and throughout the world.”
Heitkamp is currently working to pass legislation she introduced to help enable minors who are involved in sex trafficking to come forward and be treated as victims, not criminals. The Stop Exploitation Through Trafficking Act will give prosecutors the tools they need to tackle domestic minor sex trafficking and help make sure victims of these horrific crimes receive the support they need. Statistics show on average children are 13 years old when they are forced to become victims of sex trafficking.
Since becoming a U.S. Senator, Heitkamp is continuing the work she started as North Dakota’s Attorney General to combat human and sex trafficking. Last week, Heitkamp, Klobuchar (D-MN), and McCain traveled to Mexico to discuss joint efforts to fight sex trafficking. They met with the Attorney General of Mexico, sex trafficking prosecutors and non-governmental organizations, the U.S. Ambassador to Mexico, and Mexican Senators involved in the issue to push for coordinated efforts to combat human trafficking in Mexico and the United States. Heitkamp and Klobuchar were also in Fargo earlier this year with law enforcement and social service advocates to push their bipartisan legislation and meet with local advocates.
Last year, Heitkamp helped lead a Senate hearing to better understand the work being done on the federal, state, and local levels to combat human trafficking. The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing, which Heitkamp asked the Committee hold, brought together officials from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. Department of Justice, and non-profit leaders who are on the frontlines of addressing human trafficking.
Press release provided by US Senator Heidi Heitkamp
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