FRC’s Tuesday Speaker Couldn’t Have Been Planned at a More Necessary Moment

The unfolding tragedy in San Antonio, Texas, has shined a bright light on the scourge that is human trafficking, which makes the Family Research Council’s guest speech Tuesday on the subject even more timely.

U.S. Rep. Ann Wagner, R-Mo., was originally scheduled to speak about the horrors human trafficking as it relates to sexual slavery in our country, but she’s now likely to broach into other areas of slavery that still exist in spite of efforts to stop them. Her speech, titled “The Battle for Humanity: How Conservatives Can Fight Human Trafficking” will begin Tuesday at noon EDT.

Click here to make arrangements to view her speech. FRC released the following statement about the event, which was planned earlier this month:

In a free country such as ours, it’s easy to forget that slavery still exists: human beings are being trafficked and sold for sex against their will. Human trafficking is a horrifying scourge that continues to haunt America, particularly through the proliferation of illegal online transactions between traffickers and buyers.

In a timely policy lecture, Congresswoman Ann Wagner (R-MO) will discuss congressional anti-human trafficking initiatives and how the conservative community can best be engaged in combatting this horrific crime. Congresswoman Wagner, who introduced the highly anticipated Allow States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act of 2017 in April, will focus on online sex trafficking via Backpage.com and other websites, the need to amend Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, and confronting the demand for sex trafficking in American culture.

Congresswoman Ann Wagner’s career is both deep and broad in service to her hometown, state and nation with more than 25 years of work in the private sector, community and public service, and the political arena.

Rep. Wagner’s public service began at the grassroots level, serving for nine years as a local committeewoman in Lafayette Township before moving on to chair the Missouri Republican Party. She also served as co-chairman of the Republican National Committee during the first term of President George W. Bush.

In 2005, following a nomination by President Bush and confirmation by the U.S. Senate, Mrs. Wagner was sworn in as the 19th U.S. Ambassador to Luxembourg by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. She served as U.S. ambassador for four years before returning to her home in Ballwin, Missouri.

In 2010, Rep. Wagner was asked to serve as the chairman of Roy Blunt’s successful U.S. Senate campaign in Missouri. Bringing her high energy and political skills to the campaign, Ann helped unite existing and new conservative grassroots activists to produce a landslide victory.

Rep. Wagner announced her first run for public office on April 26, 2011, and won the election for Missouri’s Second Congressional District on November 6, 2012.

As a member of the House Financial Services Committee, Rep. Wagner has authored legislation to protect access to affordable investments for middle class families, which passed the House twice with bipartisan support. She also introduced the Small Company Simple Registration Act, which was signed into law late last year.

In January 2017, she became a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. She sits on the Middle East and North Africa Subcommittee and the Asia and Pacific Subcommittee.

Throughout her tenure on Congress, Ann has made combating sex trafficking and online exploitation of minors a legislative priority. In fact, she authored the Stop Advertising Victims of Exploitation or SAVE Act, which amends the federal criminal code and gives prosecutors the tools they need to investigate and prosecute those who knowingly advertise sex slavery. In May 2015, as part of the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act (S. 178), the SAVE Act was signed into law by President Obama. {eoa}