Global Courant 2023-05-03 18:00:53
FIRST ON FOX: Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., introduces legislation Wednesday that would force major companies to take major steps to eliminate the use of child labor in their workforce — amid reports of an “explosive” growth of non- accompanied minors who are trafficked.
The Child Labor Elimination Act would require large corporations (defined as those making more than $500 million a year) to undertake a range of efforts to address the use of child labor, including forcing them to conduct independent audits. of their supply chains to ensure that their suppliers and service providers do not use child labour.
The bill would also require those companies to file reports with the Labor Department on the audits and steps they are taking to eradicate the use of child labor. The reports would also be published online. The DOL, meanwhile, would report to Congress on the companies involved in the use of child labor.
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The bill also introduces enforcement measures to allow the DOL to hit companies with damages of up to $500 million if, after notice, they violate child labor laws. The agency may also file requests for injunctions, restraining orders, and other legal instruments.
The legislation comes in response to New York Times reports of a massive spike in the use of child labor that coincided with an increase in unaccompanied minors crossing the border. Statistics from Customs and Border Protection (CBP) show that the number of unaccompanied minors increased from 33,239 in fiscal year 2020 to more than 146,000 in fiscal year 2021 and 152,000 in fiscal year 2022. 2023 more than 70,000 encounters of UACs.
Republicans have pinned the crisis on the government’s “open borders” policy, which they say facilitated the historic migrant crisis and spike in child trafficking.
“Joe Biden’s open borders policy has led to the largest human trafficking and child labor operation in history. Major corporations are turning a blind eye to the crisis and are exploiting it for their own gain,” Hawley said in a statement. “If the government does nothing to protect children, then Congress should. This legislation forces large companies to eliminate child labor from their workplaces and holds those who fail to act accountable.”
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Hawley recently wrote to the FBI urging Director Christopher Wray to make handling the crisis a “top FBI priority.”
Hawley recently asked DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas at a Senate hearing why he shouldn’t be impeached on the issue. Mayorkas accused the Missouri legislature of making “false statements” and highlighted DHS’s efforts to focus on workplace enforcement and investigate “unscrupulous employers” who employ children.
In March, HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra was asked about a report that his agency has been unable to contact about 85,000 minors. He pointed out the restrictions placed on the agency when it comes to handing over the minors to a sponsor.
“Congress has given us certain authorities,” Becerra added. “Our authorities end when we find a suitable sponsor to place that child with. We try to do some follow up, but neither the child nor the sponsor is actually obligated to follow up with us.”
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Last month, an HHS whistleblower told her experiences to a House panel about the human trafficking she witnessed while volunteering at an emergency shelter in 2021.
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“Whether intentionally or not, it could be argued that the US government has become the go-between in a large-scale, multibillion-dollar child trafficking operation run by bad actors who want to profit from children’s lives,” said Tara Lee Rodas. . .
Adam Shaw is a political reporter for Fox News Digital, primarily covering immigration and border security.
He can be reached at adam.shaw2@fox.com or at Twitter.
