in dark corners it claims thousands of victims every year quietly, stealthfully, maliciously. it's hard for many americans to believe that human trafficking could happen where they live, but it does. right here in the united states, all 50 of our states. and many of these victims are children. in kentucky alone the commonwealth has been able to identify more than 100 victims since it began keeping relevant records in 2013. and while this kind of abuse often begins around the age of 13 or 14, there have been reports of victims in kentucky as young as two months old. it's just about the most marley offensive thing you could imagine. these victims need a voice. they need justice and the new congress is determined to give them both. that is what the bill we're considering this week the justice for victims of trafficking act aims to do. i want to thank senator cornyn for his hard work on this legislation. he's been a tiecials advocate -- a tireless advocate for it. this has been a bipartisan exercise. i want to thank the 13 democratic cosponsors of the bill. it's a bill that receiv