Story highlights After complaints from members of Congress, the White House visitors office will re-open

It's one of the first official acts by Melania Trump as first lady

Washington (CNN) The president gets to live there, but the White House actually belongs to the American people and starting March 7, they can start to take tours for the first time during Donald Trump's presidency.

First lady Melania Trump said in a statement Tuesday she's looking forward to welcoming visitors.

"I am excited to reopen the White House to the hundreds of thousands of visitors who come each year. The White House is a remarkable and historic site and we are excited to share its beauty and history. I am committed to the restoration and preservation of our Nation's most recognizable landmark," she said.

The announcement comes as frustration about the closure has mounted on Capitol Hill, where lawmakers are often contacted by constituents to schedule White House tours. Without someone to oversee the Visitors Office, a post that under Presidents Clinton, Bush, and Obama had filled before their respective inauguration days, those tours, and the perk of being able to arrange them, ground to a halt when Trump took office.

While Melania Trump is splitting her time between Washington and New York, as her 10-year-old son, Barron, completes the school year, the East Wing of the White House has been operating under a skeleton crew.

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