{"id":1166,"date":"2012-09-26T00:02:00","date_gmt":"2012-09-26T00:02:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.catholicnewsagency.com\/news\/congressman-questions-obamas-commitment-to-fight-human-trafficking\/"},"modified":"2012-09-26T00:02:00","modified_gmt":"2012-09-26T00:02:00","slug":"congressman-questions-obamas-commitment-to-fight-human-trafficking-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2012\/09\/congressman-questions-obamas-commitment-to-fight-human-trafficking-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Congressman questions Obama’s commitment to fight human trafficking"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

Washington D.C., Sep 25, 2012 \/ 06:02 pm (CNA<\/a>).- New efforts announced by President Barack Obama to fight human trafficking have renewed criticism of his administration for preventing a highly effective Catholic group from receiving funds to aid victims.<\/p>\n

\tIn a Sept. 25 speech at the Clinton Global Initiative in New York City, Obama praised the work of those who have \u201cdecided that their conscience compels them to act in the face of injustice.\u201d
\n\t\u00a0
\n\tHe pointed to his Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships in working to fight human trafficking and mentioned the Catholic Church as a faith community that is \u201ctruly doing the Lord\u2019s work\u201d in its anti-trafficking efforts. \u00a0<\/p>\n

\tObama announced a new executive order to prevent human trafficking through new regulations for U.S. contractors and subcontractors, including a prohibition on trafficking-related practices such as charging recruitment fees.<\/p>\n

\tLarge contract holders will be required to implement awareness and compliance programs, and a process will be created to identify industries with a problematic history.<\/p>\n

\tThe order also requires additional \u201cguidance and training\u201d for those responsible for enforcing the new measures.<\/p>\n

\tThe announcement, however, drew criticism from Representative James Lankford (R-Okla.), who said that the president has put his own political gain before the good of trafficking victims.<\/p>\n

\tWhile he says that he \u201cwants to promote awareness of human trafficking,\u201d Obama has a \u201crecord of removing the experts at providing these services,\u201d Lankford charged in a statement responding to the president\u2019s speech.<\/p>\n

\tHe pointed to the administration\u2019s decision last year not to renew a grant with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops\u2019 Migration and Refugee Services to aid human trafficking victims.<\/p>\n

\tAn independent review board gave the bishops\u2019 group superior ratings for their work over several years. However, the group was passed over for a grant renewal, and the funds were instead given to an organization with a significantly lower score.<\/p>\n

\tThe decision came after new guidelines for grant applicants indicated that \u201cstrong preference\u201d will be given to organizations that offer referrals for the \u201cfull range of legally permissible gynecological and obstetric care.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tCritics contended that the administration was putting the promotion of abortion before the needs of trafficking victims.<\/p>\n

\tThe bishops\u2019 group \u201cwas not eligible for assisting victims of human trafficking solely because they would not encourage victims of abuse to seek an abortion or contraceptive drugs,\u201d Lankford said.<\/p>\n

\tThe Oklahoma congressman accused the president of acting out of political motives. He said that the new executive order was \u201cmodeled directly\u201d after a piece of legislation that he had introduced, the End Human Trafficking in Government Contracting Act.<\/p>\n

\tSuccessfully included as an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 that was passed by the House, the legislation is expected to be added to the Senate version of the bill as well.<\/p>\n

\tLankford argued that the president should not have circumvented the legislative process when the bill had \u201cbroad bi-partisan support in the House and Senate.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tThe temporary executive order undermines months of work that has been done by both parties to more permanently address the problem, he said.<\/p>\n

\tThe congressman noted that more than 20 executive policies and regulations have already been enacted but \u201chave failed to stop the practice.\u201d<\/p>\n

\t\u201cOne more executive order will not solve the problem,\u201d he said. \u201cWe have a loophole in our law that must be closed, and we have serious enforcement issues of existing law.\u201d
\n\t\u00a0
\n\tPointing to the choice of a lower-rated organization over the bishops\u2019 group, Lankford questioned the president\u2019s commitment to promoting effective efforts to fight human trafficking.<\/p>\n

\tHe accused Obama of using the executive order \u201cto jump in front of the moving crowd and claim leadership, when real leadership involves not just doing something, but doing the right thing, at the right time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n<\/a>\n<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Washington D.C., Sep 25, 2012 \/ 06:02 pm (CNA).- New efforts announced by President Barack Obama to fight human trafficking have renewed criticism of his administration for preventing a highly effective Catholic group from receiving funds to aid victim…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1031,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1166","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","category-us"],"yoast_head":"\nCongressman questions Obama's commitment to fight human trafficking<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Washington D.C., Sep 25, 2012 \/ 06:02 pm (CNA).- New efforts announced by President Barack Obama to fight human trafficking have renewed criticism of his administration for preventing a highly effective Catholic group from receiving funds to aid victim...\" \/>\n<meta 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