Oklahoma Congressman James Lankford slams President Barack Obama's effort against human trafficking

Obama issued an executive order that would establish new procedures for preventing forced labor from being used on contracts and subcontracts and for investigating potential abuses.

“In short, we're making clear that American tax dollars must never, ever be used to support the trafficking of human beings,” Obama said in a speech at the Clinton Global Initiative in New York. “We will have zero tolerance. We mean what we say. We will enforce it.”

Lankford, R-Oklahoma City, held subcommittee hearings on the problem of forced labor being used on U.S. contracts in Iraq, Afghanistan and other countries, and he co-authored bipartisan legislation that has many of the same components as the president's order, including a requirement that contractors have a plan to comply with the anti-trafficking rules.

Lankford's legislation was made part of the 2013 defense bill that passed the House in May.

The Senate defense bill, which is pending, is expected to include similar language.

Although the president's order doesn't preclude future congressional action, Lankford said he was “saddened that the president plans to undermine months of our bipartisan, bicameral work by issuing a temporary executive order. This is a serious issue that requires legislative solutions and deliberate action, not just political hype.”