Press Releases

For Immediate Release                             Contact: Tionee Scotland
June 9, 2026                                                    202-808-6129

PRESS RELEASE

CONGRESSWOMAN PLASKETT SECURES COMMUNITY PROJECT FUNDING ACROSS THREE HOUSE APPROPRIATIONS BILLS FOR THE U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS

Washington, D.C. — Congresswoman Stacey E. Plaskett (D-VI-AL) announced today that all nineteen Community Project Funding (CPF) requests she submitted on behalf of the U.S. Virgin Islands have been included across three Fiscal Year 2027 House Appropriations bills — covering health care, housing and economic development, and rural infrastructure, representing a total of $15,890,000 in requested federal investment.

"These Community Project Funding requests represent real investments in the people of the U.S. Virgin Islands — in their health, their homes, their livelihoods, and their future," said Congresswoman Plaskett. "From expanding health care access on St. Croix and St. Thomas to strengthening rural infrastructure and supporting economic development across our territory, each of these projects a priority our office identifies, championed, and fought to include. I am proud of my office’s work to secure the inclusion of these requests, and I will continue fighting to see every single one of these projects signed into law."

"The appropriations process is long, and each bill must be marked up by the Committee, considered and passed by the House of Representatives, then passed by the Senate, and ultimately signed by the President before it becomes law. However, inclusion of the projects in the base bill at this stage is a meaningful and hard-won step that reflects the strength of the needs our community has articulated," Congresswoman Plaskett continued. "I am grateful to the members of the House Appropriations Committee for their support of the work of my office and recognition of the Virgin Islands' priorities. My team and I will remain engaged every step of the way."

Agriculture, Rural Development, and Related Agencies

All six projects Congresswoman Plaskett submitted under the Rural Community Facilities Program were included in the bill's Community Project Funding table, totaling $3,740,000 in federal investment:

·      Virgin Islands Department of Agriculture, St. Croix – $803,000 for the VIDA Agricultural Infrastructure Cistern Project;

·      Virgin Islands Department of Agriculture, St. Croix – $375,000 for the La Reine Farmers' Market Enhancement Project;

·      Virgin Islands Department of Agriculture, St. Thomas – $375,000 for the Sanderilla Thomas Bungalow Farmers' Market Enhancement Project;

·      Virgin Islands Waste Management Authority, St. Thomas / St. John – $537,000 for the VIWMA Compact Garbage Trucks Project;

·      Virgin Islands Waste Management Authority, St. Croix – $825,000 for the VIWMA Anguilla Landfill Specialty Equipment Project; and

·      Virgin Islands Waste Management Authority, St. Thomas – $825,000 for the VIWMA Bovoni Landfill Specialty Equipment Project.

The Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2027 passed the House of Representatives on June 4, 2026.

Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD)

All six projects Congresswoman Plaskett submitted under the HUD Economic Development Initiative account were included in the bill's Community Project Funding table, totaling $6,100,000 in federal investment:

·      Virgin Islands Department of Sports, Parks & Recreation, St. Croix – $2,000,000 for DSPR Athletic Village and Sports Complex Site Preparation and Development;

·      Virgin Islands Next Generation Network, St. Croix – $1,250,000 for the VI Senior and Youth Technology Learning Center;

·      University of the Virgin Islands Research and Technology Park, St. Croix – $1,000,000 for the UVI RTPark Youth Agripreneur Farm and Resource Center;

·      Virgin Islands Department of Health, St. Croix – $850,000 for the Virgin Islands Supportive Recovery Housing and Crisis Response Project;

·      Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority, St. John – $500,000 for the Emergency Response and Community Resilience Facility; and

·      Virgin Islands Department of Public Works, St. Thomas – $500,000 for the St. Thomas Step Street Revitalization project.

The Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2027 was approved by the Appropriations Committee on June 3, 2026.

Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education (LHHS)

All seven projects Congresswoman Plaskett submitted under the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Wide Activities and Program Support account were included in the bill's Community Project Funding table, totaling $6,050,000 in federal investment:

·      Frederiksted Health Care, Inc., St. Croix – $1,000,000 for the Ingeborg-Nesbitt Health Center Renovation and Modernization Project;

·      St. Thomas East End Medical Center Corporation, St. Thomas – $1,000,000 for the STEEMCC Healthcare Infrastructure and Access Expansion Project;

·      Government of the Virgin Islands – $1,300,000 for the USVI Healthcare IT Infrastructure and Integrity Project;

·      Governor Juan F. Luis Hospital and Medical Center, St. Croix – $750,000 for the JFL Advanced MRI Imaging Expansion Project;

·      Schneider Regional Medical Center, St. Thomas – $2,000,000 for:

o   Charlotte Kimelman Cancer Institute PET/CT Diagnostic Imaging Expansion Project;

o   SRMC Clinical Laboratory Infrastructure and Diagnostic Capacity Project; and

o   SRMC Patient Care and Emergency Response Infrastructure Project.

The Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2027 has a full Appropriations Committee markup today, June 9, 2026.

Congresswoman Plaskett encourages constituents who want to learn more about these projects or the federal appropriations process to visit the FY 27 Community Project Funding Requests page on her website.

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