Plaskett Joined By Local Business Owners On Capitol Hill For Virgin Islands Advocacy Day

Congresswoman Stacey Plaskett hosted a two-day visit with local Virgin Islands business leaders on Capitol Hill aimed at engaging policy makers in Congress on some of the major the issues impacting the Virgin Islands, according to a press release Mrs. Plaskett’s office issued on Friday.

Virgin Islands Advocacy Day 2016, Mrs. Plaskett said, is the first of what she hopes will be an annual event on Capitol Hill, where stakeholders in the Virgin Islands business community will have the chance to meet directly with policy makers in Washington to advocate on behalf of the economic growth and improvements within the territory.

“I believe it is important that we continue to make Congress aware on the impediments to economic growth and development and the need for Congress to pass legislation with more consideration given to the U.S. Virgin Islands and other insular territories. With the discussions about debt relief for Puerto Rico intensifying, I think it is imperative that our local business community, Governor Mapp, and myself come together to garner support for our territory with respect to inclusion in a comprehensive legislative package to address the issues impacting our islands. This year is the first in what we plan on being a yearly set of meetings to engage our local business community directly with members of Congress on issues impacting the territory,” she said.

Mrs. Plaskett said the group focused on having the Virgin Islands included in any comprehensive debt relief package to Puerto Rico.

“We wanted to ensure that Congress includes the Virgin Islands in the provisions extended to Puerto Rico, and that they understand that many of the issues that impact Puerto Rico also impact our territory. Among the things that were advocated for, was the reimbursement of the federal earned income tax credit (EITC) and the full application of federal poverty line limitation to territories,” the congresswoman added.

Mrs. Plaskett also met with Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Orin Hatch (R-UT), Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Governor Mapp during the two-day event and congratulated the governor on announcement around the Centennial Caucus.

“I want to congratulate Governor Mapp on his efforts to create the Senate Centennial Caucus. It is my hope that the formation of this caucus will lend to the efforts of our local Virgin Islands Centennial Commission and assist with our ongoing Congressional Centennial Commission in bringing a national awareness to the events of the Transfer of 1917 and the contribution of the Virgin Islands to the United States,” she said.

The Congressional Centennial Commission will be created by an act of Congress and will include members of both the House and Senate, as well as members of the Obama Administration and other national and international experts.