Sen. Kenneth Gittens fired back at Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. ahead of a Senate hearing he was chairing on Tuesday, accusing the administration of mishandling previous appropriations and questioning why the governor singled him out in a Monday press conference.
Gittens stressed that the Legislature’s role is to provide oversight and ensure taxpayer dollars are spent responsibly, especially regarding retroactive wages owed to government employees.
“These are funds owed to hardworking people— some who have retired, some who have even passed on. These monies are owed and should be given to these families. It is the Legislature’s job is to provide checks and balances on any administration and I for one will not be rubberstamping anything from the governor,” Gittens said.
Gittens expressed frustration over the government’s failure to deploy two $25 million appropriations intended for wage payments, with only $2.5 million disbursed so far. He also criticized the administration’s spending priorities, pointing to a $10 million promotion with the New York Jets, while local airport and cruise ship greeters were let go. “I’m not sure why the governor chose to single me out at his press conference, but obviously, I struck a damn nerve,” Gittens remarked. “Several of my colleagues spoke out on this – and while I can’t speak for all, a lot of us have concerns over the spending of this government and we will hold the administration accountable.”
If it is too much for the administration to provide a detailed plan for the use of the existing credit line, then how can the Senate approve another one or an extension, Gittens questioned.
In a press conference on Monday, Bryan defended the request for either an expanded $150 million line of credit or a new $50 million line, describing it as a necessary tool for managing the government’s cash flow, especially with an $80 million delay in corporate tax collections. He framed the borrowing as essential to covering operational expenses, including vendor payments and essential services, warning that without it, the government could face a $60 million shortfall by the end of the fiscal year.
Bryan also responded to Gittens’ concerns about retroactive wage payments, explaining that the $50 million was an authorization, not a lump sum sitting in the government’s accounts. “What they did was sign an authorization saying that if we have $50 million, that’s where it should go. It doesn’t mean the money was already there,” Bryan said. He added that his administration has made progress, disbursing $43 million in retroactive wages since 2022, more than any administration before him.
The governor emphasized that his administration has reduced the territory’s debt by half a billion dollars since he took office in 2019 and underscored that the line of credit is a tool for maintaining liquidity, not an expansion of debt. “This is about making sure we can continue to meet our obligations without massive cuts,” Bryan said, cautioning that failure to secure the funds could result in a 10 percent reduction in government budgets.
As for broader concerns about infrastructure and WAPA’s fuel costs, Bryan acknowledged the challenges but stressed that the government is balancing competing priorities amid inflation, supply chain issues, and global conflicts. He said the administration is working to address these issues but urged patience as recovery efforts and fiscal management continue.
