Press Releases

For Immediate Release                             Contact: Alayah Phipps 

January 14, 2026                                                    202-813-2793 

PRESS RELEASE 

CONGRESSWOMAN PLASKETT SECURES CRITICAL WINS FOR VIRGIN ISLANDS AND CARIBBEAN IN BIPARTISAN APPROPRIATIONS PACKAGE 

Washington, D.C.— Congresswoman Stacey E. Plaskett (D-VI) announced that the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Financial Services and General Government and National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2026. This legislation delivers significant victories for the U.S. Virgin Islands, U.S. territories, and the Caribbean region while it rejects President Trump's proposed $163 billion in domestic cuts, eliminates over 80 extreme Republican policy riders, and reasserts Congress's power of the purse. 

"This funding package delivers meaningful resources for the Virgin Islands and our Caribbean neighbors while it stands firm against cuts that would have devastated our communities," said Congresswoman Plaskett. "The legislation provides $90 million for Caribbean security and development, $45 million for election security nationwide, and $28 million for the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund, with special provisions for the U.S. territories. These victories strengthen our democracy, support our small businesses, and invest in our region's future.” 

The package provides $90 million for the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI), with additional prioritization for drug transit zones and countries affected by the humanitarian, economic, and political crisis in Haiti. The bill requires detailed CBSI spend plans within 45 days and mandates a report within 120 days to assess opportunities for educational partnerships in the Caribbean region. For Haiti specifically, the legislation provides $7.5 million for National Security Investment Programs focused on maternal and neonatal care, $5 million for non-lethal assistance to Haitian Armed Forces, and continued funding for reforestation, agricultural development, and justice system improvements.  

The legislation provides $28 million for the Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund and establishes that territories with 20 percent or more of their population living in poverty over the past 30 years qualify for enhanced consideration—a critical provision for the Virgin Islands. The package provides $45 million for Election Assistance Commission Security Grants, which will directly benefit Virgin Islands election infrastructure.  

The bill provides $150 million for the Small Business Development Center Program (SBDC) as part of $330 million in total Small Business Administration (SBA) entrepreneurial development funding. The legislation directs the SBA to assess minimum funding levels for States and U.S. territories to ensure adequate resources meet demand in each jurisdiction, with a report to Congress required within 180 days—a critical step to evaluate whether territorial SBDCs receive the support they need to serve our small business communities effectively. 

"This is what effective representation looks like," Congresswoman Plaskett stated. "We delivered direct resources for our territory and the Caribbean while protecting the programs Virgin Islanders depend on." 

The package strongly repudiates President Trump's fiscal year 2026 budget request, which would have slashed investments and severely weakened critical initiatives. Instead, the legislation protects $324 million for Community Development Financial Institutions, rejecting Trump's elimination efforts. It provides $1 billion for the Small Business Administration ($383 million above the Administration’s request), increases Judiciary funding by $584 million above fiscal year 2025, and provides $5.5 billion for humanitarian assistance ($1.5 billion more than requested). 

"The Virgin Islands and the Caribbean are better off because Democrats held the line," Congresswoman Plaskett added. "We reasserted Congress's power of the purse, secured fair treatment for territories in federal funding formulas, invested in Caribbean security and regional partnerships, and protected critical programs—all while eliminating every extreme policy provision that would have harmed our communities." 

Background: The Financial Services and General Government and National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs appropriations package passed the U.S. House of Representatives on January 14, 2026. This appropriations package builds on P.L. 119-37, the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2026, which provided continuing appropriations through January 30, 2026, and full-year appropriations for Agriculture, Legislative Branch, and Military Construction-Veterans Affairs. On January 8, 2026, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Commerce, Justice Science; Energy and Water Development; and Interior and Environment Appropriations Act, 2026 which is under consideration by the U.S. Senate. The current package does not provide funding for other departments or agencies, which includes Defense, Homeland Security, Labor-HHS-Education, and Transportation-HUD, which have temporary funding that expires at the end of this month. Congresswoman Plaskett will continue to advocate for full-year appropriations for these remaining departments to ensure stable funding for critical services affecting the Virgin Islands. 

###