First Lady Melania Trump Makes Solo Trip to Capitol Hill to Talk About Solving the Opioid Crisis | Eastern NC Now

Publisher's note: This post appears here courtesy of the LifeZette, and written by Momzette Staff.

    It's not a story you'll likely read or see in most mainstream media outlets.

    Or, if you do, there'll be some snide, snarky comments inserted somewhere about our smart, elegant, committed, gracious and beautiful first lady Melania Trump.

    But here's what happened this week - and it's worth sharing.

    On Wednesday the first lady traveled to Capitol Hill to thank members of Congress for all their work on a law that eases access to opioid abuse treatment for Americans who need it.

    This is all part of her work on her Be Best campaign - which aims to improve the lives of all young people in multiple ways in this country.

    Kellyanne Conway, senior White House adviser, as well as Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.V.) - whose state has been hit badly by the crisis - joined Mrs. Trump at the event.

    Others participated as well, including Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar.

    Surprise, surprise, CNN actually reported that the first lady was "warmly welcomed" to the bipartisan roundtable discussion.

    See its tweet just below on this.

In her first solo visit to speak with lawmakers in the Capitol, Melania Trump was warmly welcomed, leading a bipartisan roundtable discussion on opioids to mark the one-year anniversary of the signing of the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act https://t.co/F6NYccuQ07

— CNN (@CNN) October 23, 2019

    The first lady convened the meeting, as CNN and others noted, to mark the one-year anniversary of the signing of the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act.

    The policy provides funding and guidance for the fight against opioid abuse.

    The event on Capitol Hill kicked off Red Ribbon Week, an awareness campaign that aims to share knowledge of alcohol, tobacco and drug abuse and violence with Americans.

    "A year ago, you passed and our administration signed into law the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act," Melania Trump said to lawmakers on Wednesday, as many outlets reported.

    "Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome, or NAS, is an area I have focused on and this act provides support to mothers and their infants born with NAS."

    "I have traveled to some of the areas hardest hit by drug abuse and I have seen the devastating effects that this crisis has on families and children," she added. "This is why the SUPPORT Act is so important. It provides the necessary tools to fight this crisis."

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that over 70,000 individuals died of overdoses in the U.S. in 2017 alone - making it the leading cause of injury-related deaths, as UPI also noted. Nearly 70 percent of those involved the use of opioids.

    The first lady also promoted the semiannual National Drug Takeback Day on Saturday, October 26, which lets people return unused opioids for disposal.

    "There is no room for illegal drugs in our schools & communities," the first lady tweeted. "I encourage youth to take the pledge this week & choose to live drug free."

    Melania Trump works tirelessly on behalf of all Americans. And she doesn't call undue attention to herself as she goes about her work - she's diligent and focused.

    It's well past time that she gets more attention for her good work.

    Yet there are still people who will pick apart her every move (so unlike when Michelle Obama was in this role).