Washington, D.C. –Congresswoman Stacey Plaskett (USVI), Ranking Member on the Subcommittee on the Interior, Energy, and Environment released the following statement regarding the introduction of HR 4667 which makes further supplemental appropriations for disaster assistance for Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria:

“HR 4667 is the next step in helping Virgin Islanders recover from the back-to-back devastation from two of the largest hurricanes this country has ever seen. As a country we have a commitment to our fellow citizens that are in the midst of major rebuilding efforts, including the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. They deserve our continued support, and we must provide the necessary resources for them to recover from these emergencies. This funding is critical to victims devastated by these disasters.

“I have evaluated the proposed Republican disaster supplemental and I am grateful that it provides for an additional $37 billion more than the $44 billion that was originally requested by the Trump administration a month ago. After negotiations there now has been additional support across a number of areas included to rebuild for resilience; and the overall amount of $81 billion, while it will likely fall short of what the Virgin Islands will need when spread out over all eligible disaster areas, is far better than the original proposal.

“Important elements of the package for the Virgin Islands include additional flexibility to use some of the aid under FEMA’s public assistance grant program to replace facilities and infrastructure systems without regard to pre-disaster conditions, or even whether the facility or system was damaged by the storms in certain cases. While I had proposed allowing any available public assistance funding to be used to rebuild facilities and infrastructure to a more resilient state than pre-storm conditions, I welcome any additional flexibility in our rebuilding as a step forward. The bill also excludes funding for the Virgin Islands from a $20 million cap imposed on U.S. territories under the Federal Highway Administration’s emergency relief program. In addition, the package continues administrative waivers for territories under the Disaster Assistance Direct Loan Program to assist local governments in providing essential services, and contains additional loans to cover the cost of cost-sharing requirements under FEMA relief programs. Furthermore, the package contains reforms to existing law to aid local governments with implementing the latest hazard-resistant designs and to establish minimum criteria for the design, construction and maintenance of residential structures and facilities.

“Notwithstanding these positive steps taken, and while I am pleased it is more than the President requested, I remain deeply concerned that the needs of the Virgin Islands will remain unmet with all the disasters that this package will need to cover. As I move forward, I will continue my work fighting to see that much more is provided for Virgin Islanders to fully rebuild our communities, and to monitor recovery efforts.”