{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.booker.senate.gov/news/press/booker-cornyn-bill-to-help-law-enforcement-better-prosecute-child-abusers-passes-senate-unanimously", "Booker, Cornyn Bill to Help Law Enforcement Better Prosecute Child Abusers Passes Senate Unanimously", "2025-09-30", "2025", "2025-09", "Democrat", "Senate", "NJ", "Cory A. Booker", "B001288", "www.booker.senate.gov", "booker", "https://www.booker.senate.gov/news/press", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and John Cornyn (R-TX) released the following statements after their Strengthening Child Exploitation Enforcement Act, which would close loopholes in existing criminal child sexual abuse statues to help law enforcement better prosecute offenders and protect victims, passed the Senate unanimously:\n\n\u201cLast Congress, Senator Cornyn and I introduced and passed this bipartisan legislation in the Senate to ensure that those who exploit and abuse children are held accountable,\u201d said Senator Booker. \u201cThis bill would close loopholes in current law to better allow us to protect our nation\u2019s most vulnerable from predators. I urge my colleagues in the House to pass this critical legislation so we can better protect children from exploitation and sexual abuse and provide justice for victims.\u201d\n\n\u201cPerpetrators who attack our children must face consequences for their heinous actions,\u201d said Senator Cornyn. \u201cBy closing loopholes in current law, our legislation would ensure these dangerous offenders aren\u2019t able to escape accountability on a technicality and are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.\u201d\n\nBackground:\n\nIn 2023, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) published the National Strategy for Child Exploitation Prevention and Interdiction, which made a series of recommendations for Congress to strengthen federal enforcement of child exploitation laws. The Strengthening Child Exploitation Enforcement Act aims to incorporate those recommendations and define the DOJ\u2019s authority to prosecute perpetrators by:\n\nClosing the kidnapping loophole by clarifying that kidnapping of a child can occur by deceiving a third party and the circumstances where consent can be used as a defense;\n\nClosing the international travel loopholes by clarifying that traveling to sexually abuse a child includes crossing international lines and that committing a sexual abuse felony against a child while abroad is a crime;\n\nClosing the sexual contact loophole by clarifying that causing a child to commit a sexual act themselves is also a crime;\n\nAnd closing the attempt loophole by clarifying that attempting to commit the sexual contact offenses is also a crime.\n\nThe Strengthening Child Exploitation Enforcement Act is endorsed by the Association of State Criminal Investigative Agencies, Major County Sherriff\u2019s of America, Rights4Girls, Hope for Justice, Street Grace, 3Strands Global Foundation, Fraternal Order of Police, the National Children\u2019s Alliance (NCA), Protect All Children from Trafficking (PACT), and the National District Attorney\u2019s Association (NDAA).", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:10:29Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.booker.senate.gov/news/press/booker-cornyn-bill-to-help-law-enforcement-better-prosecute-child-abusers-passes-senate-unanimously"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.9289761073887348, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}