Republican robocalls hit Murray over human trafficking bill
What appeared to be a bipartisan bill to curb human trafficking in the United States has stalled in the U.S. Senate and now has become fodder for a Republican campaign attack on Democratic senators.
Republicans are running robocalls attacking Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., for playing political games with a human trafficking bill stalled in the GOP-run Senate.
The National Republican Senatorial Committee has begun to run robocalls, directed at women voters, against Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., and other lawmakers up for re-election in 2016.
A version directed at Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., urged voters to call their senator and tell him to stop playing political games and voting to block legislation that would combat human trafficking.
The Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act would establish a fund for U.S. victims of human trafficking, and toughen fines and jail sentences to the johns who force them into sex slavery. There are an estimated 100,000 victims in America.
Democrats have balked, however, at an anti-abortion amendment quietly inserted by Senate Republican leaders.
It bans use of any money from the victims fund to pay for abortions or similar use of any fines collected from traffickers. It is a version of the longstanding Hyde Amendment which blocks users of federal funds from abortion services.
Democrats have blocked the bill until the anti-abortion language is removed.
The Republican leadership in the Senate has held up the confirmation of Attorney General-designate Loretta Lynch. The U.S. attorney from Brooklyn has been forced to wait four months for a Senate vote.
Along with Murray, Republican robocalls have attacked Sens. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., Bennet, and Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid.
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Republican robocalls hit Murray over human trafficking bill