Celebrating Mothers Across South Florida

Statement

Dear Friends,

On Sunday May 10th, we take a day to recognize, honor and celebrate mothers and their constant and relentless commitment, love and support. On this special day, let us take the opportunity to honor all those amazing mothers in our lives and reflect on how their passion and drive have influenced each of us, as well as our communities across the nation. Mothers play many important roles throughout our lives as our teachers, comforters, friends, and our most arduous and steadfast supporters. Mothers grant the gift of life and then spend a lifetime showing each of us how to live life to the fullest.

This Mother's Day, I especially remember my own mother, Amanda or Abu Mandy as we came to call her, for her extraordinary kindness, dedication and devotion to our family. My mother was a loving wife and an exemplary Mom who taught my brother and me to work hard and always make time for family and friends. As a Member of Congress, I am inspired to carry on Abu Mandy's legacy of hard work and dedication by working with my colleagues to help strengthen families in our South Florida community. I have worked with both Republicans and Democrats to draft and pass legislation, such as the Every Child Deserves A Family Act which would help children in the foster care system by increasing their access to safe, supportive, and permanent homes by allowing a larger pool of loving parents to adopt. I was also an original cosponsor to a Congressional Resolution in support of National Adoption Month which calls for a revision of adoption policies in our nation in order to make it easier for loving and responsible parents to provide children in foster care with nurturing and loving families.

I have also worked tirelessly across the aisle to address some of the main problems impacting women and mothers across our community and our nation. By cosponsoring the Women's Safety Act and supporting Congressional Resolutions condemning domestic violence, I have continued to work to raise awareness of the devastating impact of domestic violence on individuals, families, and our community. However, awareness is not enough. I am committed to supporting programs designed to end domestic violence in our nation. I was also an original cosponsor of the Human Trafficking Prevention, Intervention, and Recovery Act, The Human Trafficking Detection Act and other solutions that seek to protect women and children in our community from the horrors of human trafficking. These initiatives would enhance our ability to detect and rescue victims, punish traffickers and provide training to local law enforcement officials on the front line of this struggle.

This Mother's Day, let us pause to honor and remember all the women in our lives who have cared for and loved us, believed in our callings, and pushed us to be the best that we can be. For my part, I will continue to support mothers and strong families across South Florida. Thank you to all the mothers and grandmothers who have impacted our lives in more ways than we can ever express. Feliz Día de las Madres!

Sincerely,

Ileana Ros-Lehtinen
Member of Congress

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