Americans often view slavery as a thing of the past—something that has long ago been abolished. But the terrible truth is that slavery is more prominent today than it ever has been before. According to the 2009 State Department Trafficking in Persons Report, human trafficking is currently the world’s fastest growing industry.

80 percent of those victimized by transnational trafficking are women and children. Each year, according to the International Labor Organization, some 1.2 million children are trafficked for the purposes of labor and another 1 million are in the sex trade. In many nations, some police’s corrupt presence is a source of insecurity.

In 2000, the Office of Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons (G/TIP) of the U.S. Department of State was created. Since then, G/TIP has provided tens of millions of dollars worth of grants to organizations around the world.

However, with the rapid increase of sex trafficking around the world, there is now an even more dire need for raising the G/TIP Office’s budget. Unfortunately, the President’s budget this year did not increase funding; he requested approximately the same amount as President Bush did for 2008. This is simply not enough. It is not possible for the U.S. to fight the growing rate of sex trafficking without additional funding. Organized action must be taken.

This is where the Child Protection Compact Act of 2009 (CPCA) comes in. If enacted, the CPCA would authorize an additional $50 million over three years for the G/TIP. For the victims of trafficking, this funding would mean the difference between life and death.

This groundbreaking legislation seeks to eradicate child trafficking by focusing on assistance and collaboration with eligible countries. Many of these countries have passed anti-trafficking and labor laws to combat modern slavery. However, there is not always the means to enforce these laws. The lack of enforcement of such laws continues to leave children unprotected.

The CPCA would help implement anti-trafficking laws in targeted countries by providing them with technical assistance and training. These target countries are ones who have shown a level of political will to fight human trafficking, but lack adequate resources and the capacity to follow up with survivors

The bill is the work of Rep. Chris Smith (republican) and Rep. Carolyn Maloney (democratic). The very fact that this conservative republican and liberal democrat have teamed up says something good about the bill and the issue it addresses. Protecting children from trafficking and exploitation is something that members of Congress across the political spectrum agree on, and is an issue that needs to be immediately addressed.

If the CPCA fails to be enacted, millions of children around the world will continue to toil in bondage and forced prostitution. What separates child sex trafficking from other forms of illegal trade like drug and weapon trafficking, is that it involves destroying the lives of millions of young and innocent girls. As a nation that cherishes justice, we must not let this happen.