During a Congressional hearing focused on America’s foster care system and its ties to child sex trafficking, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) reversed his position, expressing a commitment to collaborate in obtaining subpoenas for records related to Jeffrey Epstein’s sex trafficking operation. The announcement, conveyed through a note from Chairman Durbin to Senator Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), chairman of the Human Rights subcommittee under the Senate Judiciary Committee, followed criticism from Republicans, particularly Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), for obstructing efforts to subpoena pertinent records.
The hearing, addressing the intersection of the foster care system and child sex trafficking, provided a platform for the announcement of Durbin’s change in stance. Ossoff shared the note during the proceedings, stating, “I also have a note here from Chairman Durbin, making clear his intention and willingness to work with Senator Blackburn on a bipartisan basis to obtain records relevant to the Jeffrey Epstein case.”
This reversal comes after a week of heightened scrutiny from Republicans, with Senator Blackburn denouncing Durbin as “unconscionable” for impeding efforts to obtain records related to Epstein’s sex trafficking activities. The records in question include previously redacted files and flight logs to Epstein’s Palm Beach mansion in Florida.
Senator Blackburn expressed outrage during the hearing, emphasizing the importance of addressing what she characterized as one of the potentially largest sex trafficking operations in the United States. She criticized the loss of focus on protecting children and confronted FBI’s Deputy Director Jose Perez for the agency’s reluctance to release information related to Epstein’s operations.
The hearing began with a plea for increased taxpayer funding to track children who are victims of sex trafficking. However, Senator Blackburn challenged the notion that more funding would resolve the issue, highlighting the FBI’s failure to release information it possesses on Epstein’s operations. She criticized the agency, stating, “You’re talking about the need to get this information from these groups. And here you have a group, an organization, and we can’t get the information. And it is just ridiculous.”
Citing a recent Tennessee Bureau of Investigation report indicating that a child in the United States is “bought or sold” every two minutes, Senator Blackburn pressed Perez on the FBI’s response to a 2022 audit of child welfare agencies, revealing lapses in investigating allegations of abuse when a child ran away from a foster home.
Ossoff, highlighting a Georgia-specific case study, pointed out chronic failures in vetting foster homes before placing abused and neglected children in them. He deemed the situation unacceptable, urging a comprehensive examination of foster care systems across the nation.
Administrator Ximena Gaston affirmed ongoing efforts to enhance foster care systems through training programs, voluntary audits, and financial penalties for states non-compliant with safety regulations. Perez underscored the challenge posed by end-to-end encryption in combating child trafficking.
Senators Blackburn and Ossoff, known for their bipartisan collaboration on foster care and child sex trafficking issues, introduced The Report Act earlier this year. The legislation aims to establish a cyber tipline for social media platforms to report evidence of child sexual exploitation, with fines for non-compliance.
As the hearing concluded, Ossoff pledged a thorough investigation into the federal government’s responsibilities to protect foster children from abuse, neglect, and sex trafficking. He called on Perez and Gaston to intensify efforts in the fight against child trafficking, a commitment they both affirmed.
In summary, Durbin’s reversal on Epstein records, announced during the Congressional hearing, marks a significant development in addressing the complex issues surrounding child sex trafficking and foster care. The bipartisan efforts of Senators Blackburn and Ossoff underscore the importance of a comprehensive approach to protect vulnerable children and hold accountable those involved in illicit activities. The hearing sheds light on the challenges within the foster care system and the imperative to strengthen safeguards against abuse and exploitation.