Rep. Lankford: Issue Needs Legislative Solution, Not Presidential Order

President Obama announced an executive order to fight human trafficking in government contracts, at the Clinton Global Initiative annual meeting Tuesday. It's a measure that Rep. James Lankford, (R-Oklahoma) does not do enough.

The order aims to crackdown on loopholes that allow the U.S. government to turn a blind eye to contractors who traffic workers and pay them low wages, and address the problems around the country. 

"We'll prepare a new assessment of human trafficking in the United States so we better understand the scope and scale of the problem. We'll strengthen training so investigators and law enforcement are even better equipped to take action," President Obama pledged Tuesday.

The issue of human trafficking affect more than 20 million people worldwide.

"In the international human trafficking that's happening in our federal contracting, most people don't really know what's happening," Rep Lankford said.

Lankford is part of a subcommittee in the House of Representatives that has been working on the End Human Trafficking in Government Contracting Act (HR 4259) for more than a year.  It would criminalize trafficking in government projects.  The act was passed as an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act this year.  It is expected to pass in the senate, Lankford said.  But he is disappointed that the President is jumping ahead of this process and taking credit for it.

"One more executive order will not solve the problem," he said. "[President Obama] is trying to put out a resolution that doesn't really resolve anything, it doesn't fix the problem.  It makes for a good speech but it doesn't answer the issue."Rep. Lankford: Issue Needs Legislative Solution, Not Presidential Order

Posted: Tuesday, September 25 2012, 09:31 PM CDT