Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D., Mass.) expressed openness to decriminalizing prostitution and came out with another proposal this week: banning private prisons.
Several 2020 Democratic candidates fully support decriminalization of prostitution, including Sens. Kamala Harris (Calif.) and Cory Booker (N.J.). Warren wouldn’t go as far as them yet.
“I’m open to decriminalization. Sex workers, like all workers, deserve autonomy but they are particularly vulnerable to physical and financial abuse and hardship,” Warren said in a statement to the Washington Post. “We need to make sure that we don’t undermine legal protections for the most vulnerable, including the millions of individuals who are victims of human trafficking each year.”
Warren has supported anti-trafficking legislation as a lawmaker, USA Today reports:
Last year, Congress passed two anti-trafficking bills, Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act (SESTA) and Allow States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act (FOSTA), which became law.
Warren previously voted for FOSTA, which bans websites used by sex workers to screen clients. In addition, she also introduced bipartisan legislation with Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., that would pressure banks to shut down accounts suspected of engaging in trafficking, HuffPost reported. – READ MORE