November 14, 2007

WASHINGTON, D.C. -Today, local Congresswoman Kirsten Gillibrand, a Member of the Armed Services Committee, voted in favor of the following six bills:

 H.R. 3461 - the Safeguarding America's Families by Enhancing and Reorganizing New and Efficient Technologies Act of 2007
 H.R. 3845 - PROTECT Our Children Act of 2007
 H.R. 719 - Keeping the Internet Devoid of Sexual Predators Act of 2007
 H.R. 4120 - Effective Child Pornography Prosecution Act
 H.R. 4134 - To direct the Attorney General to provide grants for Internet safety education programs
 H.R. 4136 - the Enhancing the Effective Prosecution of Child Pornography Act

"As the mother of a 4-year-old, who already knows how to use the computer, I am pleased to be able to vote for legislation to protect both my family and those across the country from the predators lurking on the internet," said Congresswoman Gillibrand.

According to the Center for Missing and Exploited Children, one in seven children between the ages of 10 and 17 received a sexual solicitation or approach over the Internet.  The bills that passed today will address the many aspects of this crime, including; stronger tools to prosecute criminals that target our children; tracking the movements of known sexual predators by including their online alias's in the National Sex Offender Registry; and increasing public awareness of this growing problem.  In addition, the PROTECT Our Children Act will create a Special Counsel for Child Exploitation at the Department of Justice.

"Modern crimes require new and modern forms of surveillance," said Congresswoman Gillibrand.  "I believe that these new programs will enable our local, State, and Federal law enforcement agencies to better coordinate targets and prosecute the predators that believe they can hide behind the anonymity of the internet."