Welcoming His Holiness Pope Francis

September 24, 2015 – As a member of the official welcome committee, Senator Corker welcomes Pope Francis to the U.S. Capitol.

“It was an honor to welcome His Holiness Pope Francis to our nation’s capital and hear his historic address to Congress,” said Corker. “His address was one of hope and unity, and I was particularly pleased to hear his message about the fight to eliminate modern slavery. As Pope Francis conveyed, ending modern slavery will not come easy. It will require cooperation from people of all faiths, backgrounds, and nationality. But together, we can end it. I remain committed to efforts to fighting slavery and human trafficking, which is a heartbreaking reality for the more than 27 million people enslaved today in more than 167 countries, including our own.”

During his address to Congress, Pope Francis said, “In this land, the various religious denominations have greatly contributed to building and strengthening society. It is important that today, as in the past, the voice of faith continue to be heard, for it is a voice of fraternity and love, which tries to bring out the best in each person and in each society. Such cooperation is a powerful resource in the battle to eliminate new global forms of slavery, born of grave injustices which can be overcome only through new policies and new forms of social consensus.”

On February 26, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee unanimously passed bold, bipartisan legislation, The End Modern Slavery Initiative Act of 2015, which would create a powerful effort in concert with the private sector and foreign governments to help eliminate modern slavery around the world. 

Click here to learn more about The End Modern Slavery Initiative Act.

Protecting the Lives of the Unborn

Senator Corker released the following statement after voting for the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, H.R. 36, which would prohibit abortion after 20 weeks in most cases. Corker is an original cosponsor of the Senate companion bill, S. 1553.

“I have consistently voted to protect the lives of the unborn and was proud to cosponsor and vote for this legislation,” said Corker.

Tennesseans Visit Washington

On Tuesday, Senator Corker met with former mayor of Chattanooga, Ron Littlefield and his wife, Lanis Littlefield, along with International Justice Mission (IJM) representatives Wayne Barnard and Nicholas Sensley to discuss The End Modern Slavery Initiative Act and the latest developments in the fight to end modern slavery.

On Wednesday, Senator Corker welcomed Taylor Crawford, a student from White Station High School in Memphis, to D.C. Crawford was in Washington for His Holiness Pope Francis’s visit to our nation’s capital.