In the spirit of bipartisanship, three members of Congress, including Representative and Western Hemisphere Subcommittee Chairwoman Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL) introduced the Strengthening Efforts to End Violence Against Children (SEEVAC) Act.
Representatives Jim McGovern (D-MA) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) joined the effort, co-sponsoring the bill.
The bill looks to “update and strengthen existing U.S. government efforts to end global violence against children, improve interagency coordination in addressing violence, and promote the use of evidence-based strategies and information gathering capabilities,” according to Rep. Salazar’s press release.
To address the violent issue that affects half of all children globally, the legislation seeks to “align current interventions” for those afflicted by child violence with USAID’s programs such as the Advancing Protection and Care for Children in Adversity (APCCA) Strategy as well as other strategies.
“We must do more to protect vulnerable children from being exploited by evil individuals across the world,” said Rep. Salazar. “I am proud to co-lead the Strengthening Efforts to End Violence Against Children (SEEVAC) Act to help innocent children who are at risk of sexual exploitation, human trafficking, forced child marriages, online abuse, and gender-based violence.”
Following the momentum gained after the release of the film Sound of Freedom, public officials have made strides to address the issue of child abuse in its various forms.
“America has played a leading role in developing strategies to reduce and end child violence, and our new bipartisan bill builds on that legacy to help put an end to violence against children once and for all,” said Rep. McGovern. “Nearly a billion children around the world are victims of violence each year. Every seven minutes, a child dies as a result of violence. These aren’t just statistics; they are kids who deserved so much better. As a dad, I know how much we worry about our children’s safety and well-being. Every child should be treated with care and protection. Our bill makes clear that not only does America care about ending violence against children, but that we are taking action to address this issue globally.”
Moreover, former President Trump (R) vowed to “urge Congress to ensure that anyone caught trafficking children across our border receives the death penalty immediately.” That would also include trafficking of women “because women, as you know, are number one in trafficking. Children are actually number two.”
JUST IN: After watching the 'Sound of Freedom', Donald Trump announces that child traffickers, including women, will receive the death penalty.
You can now expect the media to become advocates for child trafficking.
"I will use Title 42 to end the child trafficking crisis by… pic.twitter.com/U9dzrlHhp0
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) July 21, 2023
The former president announced this on social media on July 21.
