Angelina Jolie visits the White House

Angelina Jolie stopped by the White House on Wednesday, speaking briefly to reporters in the White House briefing room, and she also visited the Capitol on Tuesday. 

The actress and filmmaker is in Washington working on children's health issues and trying to encourage the reauthorization of the Clinton-era Violence Against Women Act. Jolie told reporters she isn't meeting with the president, but she did say she'll be meeting with Justice Department officials and GOP Senator Joni Ernst later Wednesday. Jolie said she was encouraged by meetings on Capitol Hill Tuesday about reauthorization the Violence Against Women Act.

"Well, I've had good bipartisan meetings and that's encouraging. So — and I think it's very important that that's the case and for these issues because it's a family — it's a health crisis, what is happening," she told reporters. "And it's going to be solved if you look at it as healthy families and invest in when there is the harm within the families, especially for the children and getting the care early, and prevention, and a lot of the — as they say 'the upstream,' a lot of focus on the prevention and the health and really seeing it that way, so it's a less adversarial situation and more about keeping families together and focusing on protection of women and children, but protection of the whole family."

According to a White House official, she met with White House press secretary Jen Psaki, White House communications director Kate Bedingfield and Jen Klein, co-chair of the Gender Policy Council. 

The Violence Against Women Act creates programs and support in response to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking, but expired more than two years ago. The House voted to reauthorize it in March, but the Senate has not. 

"UNHCR Special Envoy Angelina Jolie is in D.C for a second day meeting with senior White House and DOJ officials, and senators to continue to advocate for the rights of women and children and health in families," a spokesperson for Jolie told CBS News. "In her meetings she will talk about the importance of VAWA reauthorization, FBI reforms, judicial training, and health equity including non-biased forensic evidence collection."

On Tuesday, Jolie also thanked officers who defended the Capitol during the January 6 assault.