Coppedge Nominated to Serve as Director of the State Department’s Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today applauded the expected nomination of Susan Coppedge to the position of Director of the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons with the rank of Ambassador at Large. The U.S. Department of State’s Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons leads our nation’s global engagement against human trafficking and was established in accordance with the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) of 2000.
“Susan Coppedge is a well-respected prosecutor and an outstanding choice to serve as Director of the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons,” said Corker. “Her firsthand experience working with law enforcement officials and foreign governments to bring justice to countless victims will serve her well in this position, and I look forward to supporting her nomination.”
Corker has long been a supporter of efforts to fight slavery and human trafficking. In addition to supporting Senator John Cornyn’s (R-Texas) bill to address human trafficking within the U.S., Corker authored the End Modern Slavery Initiative Act of 2015 (S.553), which would create a powerful effort in concert with the private sector and foreign governments to help eliminate modern slavery around the world. Last week, funding for the bold, bipartisan initiative was included in the Senate Fiscal Year 2016 State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Bill. Coppedge has previously expressed support for Corker’s proposal.
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