Weeks After Start of 115th Congress, Delegate Hosts St. John Town Meeting

Since the 115th Congress began, Delegate to Congress Stacey Plaskett became chair of a subcommittee in the House of Representatives. She is expected to meet with St. John residents Wednesday at the Cleone Henrietta Creque Legislative Hall in Cruz Bay. Submitted photo. 

The debt dilemma of the Virgin Islands and some possible solutions, postal problems, issues affecting the National Park and maritime issues are among the possible topics at a Wednesday town meeting with Delegate to Congress Stacey Plaskett.

The delegate’s St. John meeting is one in a series of town hall meetings on all three Islands between February 21-23.

The second-term congresswoman invites all residents to meet and talk with her on Wednesday, February 22 at 6:30 pm in the Cleone Henrietta Creque Legislative Hall in Cruz Bay.

“These town halls are really an opportunity to have a more intimate discussion with the people of the Virgin Islands and hear the issues they want me to focus on in Washington. I anticipate the debt situation will be a topic of interest, but I also would like to discuss other federal issues impacting our community, like public land use and the National Parks Service and postal issues” Plaskett said.

The Virgin Islands delegate to Congress does not have a vote on the floor of the House of Representatives but Plaskett took the leadership of a House subcommittee in late January. She is now the Ranking Member of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee’s Subcommittee on the Interior, Energy and Environment in the 115th Congress.

The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee’s Subcommittee on the Interior, Energy, and Environment, has oversight jurisdiction over energy policy, public lands, environmental policy, fish and wildlife, mining, energy development, pollution, and related regulations.

Meetings between Plaskett and Speaker of the House Paul Ryan and Treasury Department officials also took place in the past few weeks. The delegate called her talks with Ryan productive.

“The overall objective was to make House Leadership privy to the issues affecting our islands as well as the current financial crisis and to clarify the difference between our fiscal situation and that of Puerto Rico. I also stressed my hope to continue being proactive in informing Congressional Leadership and highlighting legislation that address broader structural fixes for the Virgin Islands and the other insular territories,” she said.

After talking with Treasury the delegate released a statement saying there may be an overlooked federal funding source that could help the territory in these times of economic crisis.

Plaskett is expected to use the town meeting to update the public about those discussions and other efforts made on their behalf.

Residents and media who wish to attend are encouraged to contact the delegate’s St. Croix District Office. The RSVP can be made by dialing 340-778-5900 or via email to richard.motta@mail.house.gov.