Post Hurricanes Irma and Maria, I have been hard at work ensuring our Virgin Islands community can return to normalcy. I have also worked tirelessly to keep the story of our resiliency and our collective efforts to rebuild in the national spotlight. 

Congresswoman Stacey Plaskett with Congressional Delegation at the Arthur A. Richards Junior High School in Frederiksted, St. Croix

Recently, I welcomed a bipartisan group of my colleagues in Congress to St. Croix so that they, and in effect, the Congress, could see first hand the devastation caused by hurricanes, Irma and Maria and also understand what it will take to recover and rebuild. The members visited the Arthur A. Richard Junior High School, homes in and around Frederiksted town and the Governor Juan F. Luis Hospital, where they participated in a listening session with residents. Following their visit, House Majority Leader, Kevin McCarthy and House Minority Whip, Steny Hoyer, authored an opinion in the Washington Post

Congresswoman Stacey Plaskett with members of the 32nd Legislature of the Virgin Islands in Washington, D.C.

This week, I hosted Governor Kenneth Mapp and members of the 32nd Legislature in Washington and facilitated meetings with members of Congress and staff from committees with direct influence over the recovery and rebuilding resources available to the territory from the federal government. I also testified before the House Energy and Natural Resources Committee and the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee concerning those needs. The recovery and rebuilding effort post hurricanes, Irma and Maria will require an extraordinary level of coordination and cooperation between the local and federal government and this moment is an opportunity to ensure that the Virgin Islands is rebuilt more efficient and more resilient. 

I met recently with Ronald A. Stroman, Deputy Postmaster General for the United States Post Office to address severe mail delays experienced by postal customers in the territory. The Deputy Postmaster General informed me that the Postal Service would add 200 temporary workers in Puerto Rico to sort backlogged mail and that the Postal Service will begin routing mail addressed to the Virgin Islands through Miami rather than Puerto Rico to ensure timely delivery.

Students board busses at the St. Croix Central High School.

This week the U.S. Department of Education awarded the territory a $2 million SERV grant to assist our local Department of Education in its effort to restore the learning environment following Hurricanes Irma and Maria. This funding, which is larger than the SERV funding typically awarded to the U.S. Virgin Islands, is welcomed news for our education officials throughout the territory. While our needs concerning restoring an environment conducive to learning are vast, this funding represents good faith from the federal government in supporting the recovery and rebuilding effort.