[CTC] Citing TPP concerns, senators introduce bill to reform State human trafficking report

[Arthur Stamoulis]

INSIDE US TRADE
 
Citing TPP concerns, senators introduce bill to reform State human trafficking report

December 08, 2016 
Sens. Robert Menendez (D-NJ) and Marco Rubio (R-FL) this week introduced a bill to reform the State Department's annual Trafficking in Persons report process following claims that the report was politically manipulated <https://insidetrade.com/node/149097> to ensure the Trans-Pacific Partnership would be eligible for consideration under fast-track negotiating authority.

During the congressional fight over Trade Promotion Authority, Menendez successfully added an amendment to the bill, which was signed into law in June 2015, that revokes fast-track negotiating authority if a trade deal includes a country that has been placed in Tier 3, the most egregious category in the so-called TIP report. The 2015 TIP reportupgraded Malaysia <https://insidetrade.com/node/149031>, a member of the TPP negotiations, to the newly created “Tier 2 Watch List” after it had been placed in Tier 3 in previous reports.

“The TIP process came under large international scrutiny after the 2015 report rankings were proven to have been blatantly and intentionally watered-down due to political pressures that gave favorable status to certain countries despite failures to meet minimum legal standards prescribed by Congress,” a press release <https://www.menendez.senate.gov/news-and-events/press/sen-menendez-rubio-introduce-the-trafficking-in-persons-report-integrity-act> from Menendez's office said. The release linked to a Reuters report <http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-humantrafficking-disputes-special-idUSKCN0Q821Y20150804> that said political pressure led to an inflated assessments of 14 countries, including Malaysia, in the 2015 report.

“After the past two reports’ fiascos of unwarranted, politically driven upgrades of countries with deplorable human trafficking records like Cuba and Malaysia, the United States’ commitment and credibility in fighting the scourge of modern day slavery remains on the line,” Menendez said in the press release.

The bill would “specify of how the concrete actions (or lack thereof) undertaken by the country contributed to the change in ranking, including a clear linkage with the minimum standards.” This provision was spurred by a Dec. 5 Government Accountability Office report <http://www.gao.gov/assets/690/681388.pdf> that faulted the State Department for not explicitly explaining the basis for certain countries’ tier rankings or changes.

 
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