Bryan urged federal support for territorial infrastructure in House committee testimony

Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. testified before the U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources on March 24, 2021, urging federal lawmakers to provide more financial support for U.S. territories as they rebuild infrastructure and respond to economic and environmental challenges.

Bryan said American Rescue Plan funds would help the U.S. Virgin Islands recover, but said the territory continued to face difficulty maintaining roads, power plants and other infrastructure, training its workforce and adapting to changing threats.

He told the committee that federal restrictions involving FEMA and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development had slowed rebuilding efforts and said the territory could not wait 10 years to recover. Bryan also said Congress could help by backing the full debt of the territories, which he said would lower borrowing costs and free capital now spent on interest.

Bryan also discussed the territory's efforts to recover economically during the COVID-19 pandemic. He cited the marine sector, including charter vessels and dredging in Charlotte Amalie and St. Croix, as an area that could benefit from federal infrastructure investment.

Official source: https://www.vi.gov/governor-bryan-testifies-about-building-back-better-before-u-s-house-committee-on-natural-resources/