Statement

First Lady Melania Trump joined the powerful House Ways and Means Committee today to advance landmark legislation set to protect America’s foster care children.

“We are gathered here today, not because America’s children rely on us, but rather because America’s children are our moral equals.” Mrs. Trump elevated America’s next generation: “new legislation for the foster care community is a moral imperative.”

Mrs. Trump is advancing the next phase of her legislative agenda to further protect and empower America’s children, following the enactment of the TAKE IT DOWN Act—now federal law with its first conviction already secured—and her Fostering the Future Executive Order. The First Lady highlighted a myriad of reasons to enact bold foster care legislation, including “housing instability, educational advocacy, financial barriers, transportation, continuity, access to technology, and other related issues.”

First Lady Melania Trump is a champion for the foster care community. In 2021, Mrs. Trump established “Fostering the Future,” a BE BEST initiative. Fostering the Future’s mission is to provide individuals from the foster care community with university-level technology education to prepare them to secure entry-level jobs. Fostering the Future includes more than 20 universities across America, including Vanderbilt University, University of Miami, Louisiana State University, University of Virginia, University of Texas, the Ohio State University, and University of Alabama.

The First Lady closed with inspirational words to the congressional leaders: “Beginning here in this room, we can once again change people’s lives. With new legislation, we can ensure that opportunity is more than hopeful for individuals in the foster care community—it can be their birthright.”

The full remarks by First Lady Melania Trump are below.

Action Over Awareness

Thank you, Chairman Smith, for hosting today’s critical discussion surrounding America’s foster care community. Good afternoon, Chairman LaHood and Ranking Member Davis. Your efforts to shape new legislation within your Subcommittee are of tremendous value to our nation. And to all the Representatives of this prestigious Committee who have worked so hard to introduce decisive reform within foster care, Mr. Miller, Ms. Chu, Mr. Moran, Mr. Yakym, Ms. Moore, Mr. Evans, and Mr. Carey—thank you.