Congressman Cohen Advocates SOAR Act at Hearing on Human Trafficking
Also discusses release of the Tate brothers from Romania
WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9), a senior member of the Judiciary Committee, discussed his Stop, Observe, Ask, and Respond (SOAR) to Health and Wellness Act that provides training to health care professionals in detecting victims of sex trafficking, at a Crime Subcommittee hearing on Protecting Victims of Human Trafficking and Online Exploitation. The bill was re-introduced today.
Congressman Cohen also discussed the case of indicted rapists and human traffickers Andrew and Tristan Tate, major Trump supporters and misogynist influencers whose travel ban was lifted by Romania earlier today and flew directly to Florida on a private jet. Congressman Cohen asked if it was likely they would return to Romania to face charges.
“Have any of you heard of Andrew or Tritan Tate?” Cohen asked the witnesses. “They’re no longer having their travel restricted. They were given their U.S. passports back today and they flew a plane, allegedly, straight to Fort Lauderdale. There are allegations that there was involvement from our administration – the Trump administration – that pressured Romania to release them. They’ve got some pretty serious charges against them for rape and sex trafficking in Romania and also, I think, in England. What do you think the odds of them returning to Romania are after they’ve been released with their U.S. passports?”
The witnesses who responded suggested the odds were low.
See his line of questioning here.
Witnesses at today’s hearing were:
- Camille Cooper, Vice President of Anti-Human Trafficking and Child Exploitation, Tim Tebow Foundation;
- Anne Basham, founder and Chair, Interparliamentary Taskforce on Human Trafficking;
- Sheri Lopez, Survivor-Advocate; founder, Pearl at the Mailbox; and
- Jean Bruggeman, executive director of Freedom Network USA
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