Senator Shelley Moore Capito aims to teach girls in the Mountain State about the importance of self-confidence, education and physical fitness through her West Virginia Girls Rise Up program.

On Tuesday afternoon, she made her 36th stop at a school in her home state with a visit to Ruthlawn Elementary School in Charleston.

Capito, alongside former U.S. Treasurer Rosie Rios, spoke about their jobs in politics as well as the 250th anniversary celebration of America that both are helping to plan.

During the visit, 4th and 5th grade girls were able to ask questions to both female leaders.  

“I want to see the next leadership of this state, community or country come from these young women here in West Virginia,” Sen. Capito said. “I feel like a lot of the time that girls don’t aspire to what they don’t see.” 

Capito is the first woman elected to the U.S. Senate from the Mountain State and hopes to see other West Virginia women follow in her footsteps. 

The U.S. Senator also spoke about federal issues that have many at home concerned. 

While she supports President Trump’s streamlining of the government, Capito has expressed her opposition to recent job cuts in Morgantown to Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr.

“I want to see the president move forward with his shrinking of the government in a thoughtful way instead of across the board like we saw at NIOSH,” Sen. Capito said. “I’m in constant conversation. I talked to the secretary again yesterday… expressed my concerns and sent a letter to him this morning.”

Capito also addressed concerns about Medicaid. 

“The president has said that no one is going to lose their benefits, but there are better ways to do Medicaid. I do believe that there are ways we can shrink Medicaid spending, not just by waste, fraud and abuse,” Capito said. “Maybe, we have work requirements or have states run programs that are more unique to their own state.”

The senator believes that Trump’s economic policies will have long term positive effects, despite the short-term pains. 

“I think he is moving forward in a way that will result in the end with lower prices. He’s got these tariff and trade issues going on right now. The whole goal of that is to advantage the American worker,” Capito said. “We’ll have to see where it all lands. In the end, I think we’ll land in a great spot.”