WASHINGTON — Republican leaders from the U.S. territory of the Virgin Islands are in the nation’s capital this week telling the White House and Congress not to write a blank check to the islands.
In a series of meetings, GOP leadership from the hurricane-devastated islands of St. Croix, St. Thomas and St. John are pushing for greater federal scrutiny of the territorial government, which was already in shambles before hurricanes Irma and Maria struck.
“We are here telling our fellow Republicans in the administration and Congress that strict scrutiny is needed to recover and rebuild our island communities,” said Jevon Williams, the territory’s committeeman on the Republican National Committee.
“For too long, Washington, under Democrats and Republicans, wrote checks without asking the tough questions.”
Williams is joined by V.I. GOP vice chairman April Newland and Dennis Lennox, the party’s former executive director.
They have a series of meetings in the House of Representatives, Senate, Department of Interior, and at the White House.
The V.I. GOP said that it is also pushing for presidential appointments to fill vacancies in the offices of U.S. attorney and U.S. marshal.
“Each office need to be filled to prosecute public corruption and ensure justice for crime victims in a jurisdiction with one of the country’s highest violent crimes rates,” it said.
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