To tier three, the lowest rating. State Department Officials outlined the hearing at a hearing of the Foreign Relations committee. This is about an hour. Foreign Relations Committee will come to order. This morning, we will continue our oversight efforts with regard to 2017 trafficking in persons report. I want to thank senator cardin and members of the committee for their leadership and engagement in combatting this affront to Human Dignity and the rule of law. This committee has conducted extensive oversight on this issue. We have instituted annual briefings for members of the committee with the opposite trafficking and persons ambassador and regional bureaus at the state department. Prior to the release of the annual trafficking in persons report, we ask every nominee before this committee to commit to help lead the fight against modern slavery. This oversight has been noted at the state department and in our embassies. We appreciate that the deputy secretary of state volunteered to lead the administrations testimony today. Secretary, its been about 45 minutes with cardin and i before the meeting and we thank him very much for his openness and the way that he is serving, and we look forward to having an outstanding relationship with him. We thank you for being here today. I know the secretary of state wanted to be here. He had an unplanned trip to the middle east. We thank you for sitting in. We thank you for the elevation of this issue at the state department. And again, you being here. The deputys attendance demonstrates the state departments interest in the stability of this report after the ambassador finishes her assignment. We also want to welcome ambassador susan coppedge, who agrees to remain in her post to insure the continuity with the 2017 report. We appreciate her leadership and service. I have to say that i think you have been outstanding. I think there are people around the world that have benefitted greatly from your service. Certainly, we have. And i cannot thank you enough for your leadership. Or your dedication to this issue. And i hope our paths cross many, many times in the future. We also appreciate the secretary of state tillerson and ivanka trump personally and passionately led the rollout of the 2017 report in a packed room. A great event, and i was glad to be there. I would like to begin by commending ambassador coppedge at the state department with the focus of this years report on the responsibility of government to criminalize Human Trafficking and hold offenders accountable. Human trafficking largely is for profit. Theres no greater term than to make it clear that perpetrators and those who collaborate with them will pay a heavy price for these crimes. This years report contains specific elements that our country and other countries can use to prosecute the crime of modern slavery. I hope that compiling this years report, you will continue to highlight examples of progress and prosecution to scrutinize where corruption and lack of progress are failing victims of modern slavery. The 2015 report on how it was perceived did real damage to this issue. And were still recovering from that. We all need to continue to reenforce trust in the process of developing a report and tier rankings. We are careful not to politicize the oversight process. And that remains important. I do believe that beginning last year and again this year, the state department has taken the integrity of the report seriously, and we thank you very much for that. Senator cardin, there may be questions about some of the outcomes, but one of the things absolutely everyone feels is there was no politicization. There may have been differences in judgment, but we appreciate the integrity with which this was put together. Finally, i would like to thank secretary tillerson for announcing as the trafficking persons report rolled out, the state department is proceeding with a 1. 5 billion Slavery Initiative that senator menendez and i first presented to the committee in 2015. This is a critical step in the effort to end slavery globally. To quote theresa may, victims will only find freedom if we cultivate a radically new global and coordinated pruapproach to defeat this vile crime. Ill turn to my friend, senator cardin. Thank you, mr. Chairman. Before i comment on todays hearing on the trafficking in persons report, let me just share with our colleagues that the chairman and i have been very focused on trying to get the russia sanction bill passed in the United States house of representatives. And i want to thank the chairman. We expressed as much flexibility as we possibly can to our colleagues in the house to deal with their particular procedural issue. We dont think thats a problem. And we want to make sure that this bill is passed as quickly as possible in the house. And in the form that it passed the United States senate. I want to thank the chairman for his cooperation. We have been working without any difference here in trying to get this bill passed in the house. It passed 982. I reminded secretary sullivan in that bill is the requirement for review before any sanction relief is given. And i particularly mention that because a press report concerning the compounds in new york and maryland, and we consider that a really a major affront to congress if action was taken on that without working with the members of congress. Let me thank you very much, mr. Chairman, for this hearing. This hearing, as we will review the most recent trafficking in persons report, as you pointed out, this is one of the great moral challenges of our time. It is modern day slavery. Just last week, i was not present, but another had i wear is the Ranking Member of the helsinki commission. We had our annual meeting of the Osce Parliamentary Assembly in minsk. And our delegation was very much actively engaged in this issue of trafficking. The u. S. Leadership on this globally has been a huge difference. It was the leadership of the United States congress and the United States government that has raised this issue to the international community, making it clear we will not tolerate trafficking in persons. And that we will take all necessary steps to end this tragedy. It distorts labor markets. It destroys people. Erodes community and undermines stability and rule of law and is fueled by corruption, greed, and violence. We will continue in our trafficking in persons report to me is the Gold Standard for what is used to have all countries do better. I mentioned previously when foreign guests come into my office, whether theyre heads of state or foreign ministers, i have the trafficking in persons report in my office and will review that countrys need for additional progress in order to deal with this. So it was with great anticipation that we had this hearing, and look forward to the 2017 report. I want to thank you for your extraordinary leadership on this issue. We know youll be doing other things, and i want to first and foremost acknowledge that the 2017 report represents the professional dedication that we expect to see in the trafficking in persons report. And im very pleased with the manner in which this report was handled and the way that decisions were made. It doesnt mean that i agree with all the decisions that were made. I think in regards to china, i applaud you. I think that was absolutely the right decision. And i know that it came with some political and diplomatic challenges. And it was the right thing to do. And i applaud you on it. Im going to talk a little bit about malaysia because i am concerned about what happened in malaysia. It was upgraded to tier two. That was one of the major countries that we were concerned about, the manner in which it was handled in 2015, because of the apparent connections between the decision made in the t. I. P. Report and the tpp negotiations taking place. Senator menendez was one of the principle leaders. He had legislation on this, et cetera, and it seemed to be a very political decision made in 2015. Malaysia is home to more than 2 million documented migrant labors, and millions more of undocumented laborers. Many who face labor, but malaysia was only able to identify over 1500 trafficking victims. Thats all they could identify. Moreover, malaysia has yet to prosecute any of the malaceous officials in their involvement in the smuggling rings and the mass graves found on the border in 2015. Incredible tragedy in which theres been virtually no progress made in resolving that issue. And during the 2017 reporting period, malaysian authorities released 12 Police Officers suspected of trafficking. Again, raising questions as to the countrys commitment. I know the numbers are higher on the number of cases that have been brought. But as far as concrete results, i havent seen it, and i would be interested as to why the upgrade was made. Im also happy that secretary sullivan is here because i am concerned as to how the reorganization will affect our ability to deal with trafficking issues. I know there is discussions being made in regards to the elimination of the bureau of population refugee and migration, and some of those functions being handled by the department of homeland security. I also know there is consideration the Consular Affairs office being transferred to the department of homeland security. I think in both of those cases it would compromise not only the mission of the department of state that i think is critically important, but how we deal with trafficking moving forward. So i look forward to the secretarys testimony and i look forward to our discussion today. Thank you very much. With that, our first witness is deputy secretary of state, john sullivan. We welcome you here. Our second witness today is ambassador at large to monitor susan coppedge. Were grateful both of you are here and doing the jobs that youre doing and have done. If you take about five minutes to summarize, we would appreciate it. We look forward to questions after that, and please just proceed in the order introduced. Thank you. Good morning. Thank you, mr. Chairman, senator cardin, members of the committee. Im honored to appear before you again today to discuss the important topic of the 2017 trafficking in persons report, which the state Department Released last month. Im grateful for the opportunity to testify about the report. The state department is also grateful for the committees leadership and input on this issue and on human rights and democracy more broadly. Individual liberty and the freedoms of religion, speech, press, assembly, and the right to petition the government are at the core of who we are as americans. Secretary tillerson and i share a personal commitment in this regard. And were proud of the significant efforts across the department of state to protect and promote individual freedom. Through hearings like this one and strong legislation backed by this committee, you have been consistent and tireless in fighting the acidious crime of Human Trafficking. I look forward to our continued collaboration on this and our broader efforts to defend the worlds most vulnerable. I would also like to particularly to thank ambassador at large susan coppedge, who leads the state Departments Office to monitor and combat trafficking in persons. Also known as the t. I. P. Office. Susan and her team have done a remarkable job. Not only in producing the detailed report that has been released, but also through efforts to encourage foreign officials, ngo leaders and others around the world to join us in this fight. At the public rollout of the report in june, secretary tillerson read a sobering line from the preamble of the trafficking victims protection act of 2000. Quote, as the 21st century begins, the degrading institution of slavery continues throughout the world. 17 years later, there are still more than an estimated 20 million victims of Human Trafficking. But the secretary also encouraged us to join in a shared hope, that the 21st century will be the last century of Human Trafficking. The t. I. P. Report is an instrument that will help us to make that hope become a reality. Its not only a symbol of u. S. Global leadership on combatting Human Trafficking, but a diagnostic tool to assess government efforts across the three ps. Prosecuting traffickers, protecting and empowering victims, and preventing future trafficking crimes. Since the enactment of the tvpa in 2000, and the t. I. P. Reports first publication in 2001, the report has prompted Foreign Governments to enact comprehensive legislation, prosecute human traffickers, establish National Action plans, implement an antitrafficking policy, and programs that protect victims. And conduct prevention campaigns. The focus of this years report is on governments responsibility to criminalize Human Trafficking in all its forms and to prosecute offenders. It also emphasizes the responsibility of governments to enforce antitrafficking laws, to prevent the use of child soldiers, and to prosecute corrupt officials who choose to turn a blind eye. To combat Human Trafficking effectively, governments must also root out complicity and corruption by Law Enforcement and Public Officials. The report makes clear that many countries are taking this issue seriously. Id like to emphasize some of the positive efforts countries have made in the past year that are discussed in the report. As secretary tillerson noted, afghanistan serves as an example of progress. Last summer, president ghani ordered an investigation into the institutionalized sexual abuse of children by Security Forces and promised punishment for perpetrators. In january of this year, the Afghan Government enacted a new law to criminalize the practice of a practice that exploits boys for social and sexual entertainment. We will continue to work with the Afghan Government toward even greater progress this year as they build on these efforts to investigate, prosecutor, and convict traffickers, including complicit government officials. Ukraine is another example. The country has been on the watch list for four years. But was upgraded to tiertwo status this year because of its efforts to improve the investigation of trafficking. This has led to the arrest and conviction of Police Officers, Public Officials and oerbts found to be complussant or willfully negligent in the trafficking of boys and girls under their care. Theyre on notice that complicity in trafficking leads to strict punishment in ukraine, but unfortunately, some countries have backpedaled. China has not taken serious steps to end its own complicity in trafficking. Tens of thousands of koreans are working overseas as forced laborers, primarily in china and russia. The north korean regime profits, making hundreds of millions on the backs of their exploited citizens working abroad. Responsible nations cannot allow this. Because of chinas lack of significant efforts to address and eliminate trafficking, china was downgraded to tierthree. The report, the t. I. P. Report is one component of the state departments year round effort to combat Human Trafficking around the world. It informs our former assistance programming to develop antitrafficking strategies for each region and to prioritize countries according to their need for assistance and their political will to make improveme improvements. We use the analysis and recommendations as a road map to guide u. S. Diplomacy on Human Trafficking so our ambassadors and officials at every level can engage with foreign counterparts to encourage renewed efforts in this fight. I commit to you today that i engage with Foreign Government as i engage with Foreign Government officials, i will, like many of you, raise antitrafficking concerns as well as broader human rights issues. All countries, including our own, including the United States, have more to do to fight to end modern slavery. Im proud of the progress reflected in the 2017 t. I. P. Report, but theres much more work to do to make the 21st century the last for Human Trafficking. Weree eager to work with congress to that end and i look forward to your questions. Thank you so much. Ambassador. Thank you, mr. Chairman. Senator cardin. Press the button. Now you can hear me. Thank you, mr. Chairman, senator cardin, and members of the committee. It is a real privilege to be here before you today on an issue to which we are all dedicated. Im honored to join deputy secretary sullivan and happy to answer questions on this years t. I. P. Report. I also have to say im very humbled by the kind words that have been spoken about me this morning, but the effort to produce this report is a state Department Wide effort. There are fabulous staff in the t. I. P. Office here. Our Embassy Personnel around the world, none of this hard work could be done without them. And im the beneficiary of that hard work and dedication by the state department employees. Hearings like this are very important to highlight the u. S. Governments commitment to combat trafficking. And the t. I. P. Report is used not only by governments but also by ngos and Civil Society members, some of whom are here today and many of whom will be watching. This conversation is a valuable opportunity to discuss the reports analysis and how it can be used as an effective tool to help improve government responses around the world. I look forward to discussing the report with you. Well, thank you. I again thank you both for your testimony. I know there will be numbers of written questio