Paris Hilton heading to Capitol with ‘urgent’ plea to pass youth welfare program reform

Paris Hilton is heading back to the Capitol with an urgent plea, calling on “every member of the House” to pass a bill focused on youth congregate care facilities that she says would “create real, meaningful change” before the legislative session ends this week.

The reality TV veteran, who’s become a regular on Capitol Hill while advocating for reforms to the youth residential treatment facility industry, will be back in Washington on Monday to meet with lawmakers, ITK has confirmed.

In an open letter issued the same day as her visit to the Hill and addressed to the entire House, Hilton said, “As a teenager, I was sent to youth residential treatment facilities where I endured abuse that no child should ever experience. I was physically restrained, sexually abused, isolated, overmedicated, and stripped of my dignity.”

“For years, I lived with the weight of that trauma, the nightmares, the shame. It wasn’t until I found my voice that I began to heal,” the 43-year-old “Paris & Nicole: The Encore” star wrote in the message posted on social media.

Last week, the hotel heiress hailed the Senate’s unanimous passage of the Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act, which proponents say would require more oversight of youth residential treatment facilities. Hilton called the vote by the Senate, “one of the best moments” of her life.

“It was proof that when we listen to survivors and put politics aside, we can create real, meaningful change. But this journey isn’t over. I can’t celebrate until this bill becomes law, and now it’s up to the U.S House of Representatives to finish what the Senate started,” Hilton, a mom of two, said.

Directly addressing Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) and “every member of the House,” Hilton wrote, “I urge you to think about the children who can’t speak for themselves. They’re relying on us — on you — to stand up for their safety and dignity.”

“Passing this bill would be a testament to what we can achieve when we lead with empathy and courage,” she said. The 118th Congress wraps up its legislative session this week before lawmakers leave for the holiday recess.

Signing her letter, “With all my heart and urgency,” Hilton told House members, “Survivors like me have carried this fight for far too long. Now, I ask you to carry it across the finish line. Let’s make this a moment that our country can be proud of—a moment when we chose to protect the most vulnerable among us.”