Reid: Republicans need to ‘right the ship’ on trafficking bill

Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid on Thursday pressed Republicans to back down from a dug-in fight over a bill to curb human trafficking.

{mosads}”It’s time on this legislation for Republicans to right the ship,” Reid said ahead of an expected procedural vote on the legislation. “Republicans haven’t had a desire to govern dependably and I think that’s unfair.”

The Nevada Democrat suggested that the stalled Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act underscores Senate Republicans’ inability to govern.

“Now in the majority, Republicans can’t filibuster themselves so they’re resorting to tanking [their own] legislation,” he said. “We think that Republicans believe this is a way to pacify the right to life community.”

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), however, slammed Democrats on Thursday for opposing the legislation because it includes the abortion restrictions.

“[It’s] a provision they seemed perfectly fine with until just recently,” he said. “It’s language they were perfectly happy endorsing in another bill this very week.”

Democrats have blocked the anti-trafficking legislation because they believe that it expands the Hyde Amendment, which restricts the use of federal funds for abortions. If the legislation passes as written, a victims fund that gets its money from criminal fines would be subjected to the Hyde Amendment.

McConnell asked Democrats to stop their opposition to the legislation and “think about what you’re doing.”

“I ask my Democratic friends, stop this. Stop this. Take a breath and think about what you’re’ doing. Children are being sold into sexual slavery,” he said. “Will they finally allow the Senate to help them?”

The Senate was expected to vote Thursday morning on an amendment to the legislation from Sen. John Cornyn. The Texas Republican’s proposal would allow the victims fund to get its money from the General Treasury Fund. It would offset that money by putting money from criminals into the Treasury Fund.

Democrats, however, have rejected Cornyn’s amendment, saying it doesn’t address the abortion restrictions.

McConnell called the ongoing Democratic filibuster “a strange argument.”

“What a strange argument, but this is where they planted their flag,” the Kentucky Republican said. “That ridiculous argument is where they planted their flag.”

— This report was updated at 11:22 a.m.