BEFORE YOU VOTE LOCALLY REPUBLICAN PLATFORM 2016

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most vulnerable and persecuted. Standing up for
repressed religious groups, prisoners of conscience,
women trafficked into sexual slavery, and those
suffering from disease or starvation is not just
consistent with American values. It advances
important security and economic interests as
well. A Republican administration will never say,
as Hillary Clinton did as Secretary of State in 2009,
that raising human rights concerns “can’t interfere
with the global economic crisis, the global climate
change crisis, and the security crisis.”
The United States needs a radical rethinking
of our human rights diplomacy. A Republican
administration will adopt a “whole of government”
approach to protect fundamental freedoms globally,
one where pressing human rights and rule of law
issues are integrated at every appropriate level of
our bilateral relationships and strategic decisionmaking.
Republican policy will reflect the fact that
the health of the U.S. economy and environment, the
safety of our food and drug supplies, the security
of our investments and personal information in
cyberspace, and the stability and security of the
oceans will increasingly depend on allowing the free
flow of news and information and developing an
independent judiciary and civil society in countries
with repressive governments such as China, Russia,
and many nations in the Middle East and Africa.
Liberty to Captives:
Combatting Human Trafficking
As an estimated 21 million people worldwide
are trapped in modern day slavery, we are reminded
to be vigilant against human trafficking in whatever
form it appears. We will use the full force of the
law against those who engage in commercial sexual
exploitation and forced or bonded labor of men,
women, or children; involuntary domestic servitude;
trafficking in persons for the purpose of organ
removal; and the illegal recruitment and use of child
soldiers. Building on the accomplishments of the
last Republican administration in implementing the
Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000, we call
for increased diplomatic efforts and accountability
for foreign governments to prosecute traffickers,
including penalties for any public officials who
may be complicit in this devastating crime. We will
highlight the need to stop slave labor, taking steps
to prevent overseas labor contractors who exploit
foreign workers from supporting military bases
abroad or exporting goods to the United States.
A Republican administration will strategize with
partners around the world to prevent the demand
for trafficking victims that makes exploitation
lucrative and will prosecute sex tourists and
domestic buyers to the fullest extent of the law.
We will work at home and abroad to ensure that
trafficking victims are identified among migrants,
refugees, and our own citizens so they receive the
rehabilitative care needed to heal and thrive.
America’s continuing participation in the
international campaign against human trafficking
merits our support. The goal of our domestic antitrafficking
programs should be the rescue and safe
return of victims to their homes, not creating a longterm
dependency upon public support. We call for
greater scrutiny of overseas labor contractors to
prevent abuses against temporary foreign workers
brought to the United States. The horrific deaths of
smuggled workers on our southwestern border at
the hands of drug cartels and other gangs highlight
the need for total security in that region.
Facing 21st Century Threats:
Cybersecurity in an Insecure World
Cyber attacks against our businesses, institutions,
and the government itself have become
almost routine. They will continue until the world understands
that an attack will not be tolerated — that
we are prepared to respond in kind and in greater
magnitude. Despite their promises to the contrary,
Russia and China see cyber operations as a part of
a warfare strategy during peacetime. Our response
should be to cause diplomatic, financial, and legal
pain, curtailing visas for guilty parties, freezing their
assets, and pursuing criminal actions against them.
We should seek to weaken control over the internet
by regimes that engage in cyber crimes. We must
stop playing defense and go on offense to avoid the
cyber-equivalent of Pearl Harbor.
The Republican Congress has passed important
legislation to advance information-sharing
among entities endangered by cyber attacks. We
will explore the possibility of a free market for Cyber-Insurance
and make clear that users have a self-
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