I am pleased to announce that my Democratic colleagues have selected me for a seat on the powerful House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. I have been consistent with this request recognizing that the future of economic development of the Virgin Islands will continue to depend on an active port and shipping sector and increased opportunities for transshipment.  There has not been a member from the territories on this committee for over 20 years. One of the issues that I would like to tackle is the outdated Stafford Act which is a federal law designed to bring an orderly and systemic means of federal natural disaster assistance for state and local governments in carrying out their responsibilities to aid citizens. I look forward to working with Chairman Shuster and Ranking Member DeFazio on updating this law and making the Virgin Islands and the Caribbean whole again. As a member of the committee, I will serve on the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management and the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation.

A postal worker delivers mail in St. Thomas. Photo courtesy of FEMA.

In light of the persisting delays in mail service to the territory, I have written Postmaster General Megan Brennan to express my concern and disappointment. I also requested that Brennan brief the House Oversight and Government Committee and turn over all documents and communications related to the routing of mail through Miami, including communications between USPS employees and with individuals outside of the USPS in the aftermath of hurricanes Irma and Maria. View letter here.

Former President Bill Clinton visits the USVI with his Clinton Foundation to survey damage caused by Hurricanes Irma and Maria.

We are thankful for Former President Bill Clinton’s leadership and thoughtfulness in assisting during not only our recovery but our rebuilding. His visit to the Virgin Islands at this time continues to bring a spotlight to our needs. The president’s ability to deliver private sector non-governmental organizations and other entities to the table to think strategically and collaboratively will be helpful in the long term dynamic economic and social growth of the territory. Our office has been working with the Clinton Foundation to identify non-profits and business opportunities.

Congresswoman Stacey Plaskett leads press conference on the recovery and rebuilding effort in the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico in November 2017.

Since hurricanes Irma and Maria, Virgin Islanders have seen their Homes, possessions, and businesses, along with essential facilities like hospitals and schools, energy system and other vital infrastructure destroyed, leaving hundreds of communities without electricity or access to health care. The Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands Equitable Rebuild Act of 2018 is a Marshall Plan type of response needed for a better future in the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. In addition to addressing immediate humanitarian needs, the bill takes steps to see that these territories not only recover but also can rebuild in a way that fully empowers them to thrive. It contains provisions for robust recovery assistance without pulling local governments into a more deleterious fiscal situation. It allows the islands to use disaster funding to lay the groundwork for a more resilient and clean energy grid. It also strengthens farms and nutrition; addresses disparities in Medicaid and federal health programs; improve schools, college access, childcare and veteran’s facilities; and makes robust investments in infrastructure and economic development (including extending programs currently unavailable to Americans in U.S. territories).

Recently, I sent a letter to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service requesting they immediately share plans to facilitate residents of St. Croix, who have gone without the services of the agency since its field office in St. Croix closed due to damages incurred by Hurricane Maria. It has been over four months since the storm, and the agency has not reopened its St. Croix field office or made any contingencies to serve residents of St. Croix.

Congresswoman Stacey Plaskett poses for a photo with St. Thomas native Sean David and House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi shortly befor the 2018 State of the Union Address in Washington D.C.

Now that we are in the process of recovering from hurricane season, it is even more imperative that we share our stories and that we educate the rest of the country on our progress and what we still need to accomplish. With that purpose, I invited St. Thomas Native, Sean David, to the State of the Union as my guest. Sean and his fiancé Valandiah, like many other Virgin Islanders, were displaced by Hurricanes Irma and Maria. Their story began a few days before the landfall of the storms, as they eagerly awaited her prenatal checkup. The storms arrived, wiping out all of the health facilities in the territory. With no available facility to deliver their child, it became crucial for Sean and Valandiah to get to the mainland. After weeks of failed plans, they were finally able to connect with an organization that works with expectant mothers to get a flight out of the territory. When they arrived in the mainland, there was still much work to be done to secure employment and housing. Their story has a happy ending- the birth of their beautiful baby girl, home and job in Baltimore, MD. We are so thankful to Sean for sharing his family’s story with us. Sean and Valandiah’s story reminds us that there is still much work to be done to ensure that every Virgin Islander has the support that they need to care for their families following a devastating hurricane season.