Bryan raised federal funding, cost-share and workforce issues at insular affairs meeting in Washington

Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. met with Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, White House officials and other U.S. territorial governors in Washington on Feb. 1, 2022, during the Interagency Group on Insular Affairs 2022 Senior Plenary Session, according to Government House.

Government House said Bryan asked the Interior Department to help streamline requirements for receiving federal funding and requested a waiver of local matching-fund requirements for the U.S. Virgin Islands.

In remarks at the meeting, Bryan said territorial highways had been underfunded for decades, airports were operating beyond their design capacity, the electrical grid was costly and unreliable, and public transportation did not adequately serve residents across the three main islands.

After remarks from Bryan and other territorial representatives, federal agencies gave presentations on infrastructure issues. Government House said those agencies included the departments of Interior, Transportation, Energy, Commerce and Agriculture, as well as the Environmental Protection Agency.

Government House also said Bryan met on Jan. 31, 2022, with representatives of the U.S. departments of Transportation, Commerce, Interior, Health and Human Services, Labor, Energy, Agriculture and State, along with the Environmental Protection Agency, and had additional meetings scheduled for Feb. 2, 2022, with federal officials and members of Congress.

Official source: https://www.vi.gov/governor-bryan-discusses-infrastructure-challenges-facing-usvi-at-interagency-group-on-insular-affairs-meeting-in-washington/