Bryan Urges Optimism Amid Torrent of Federal Policy Announcements

Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. restated his commitment to working with whoever occupies the White House during a weekly Government House briefing Monday and sought to reassure Virgin Islanders concerned about a dizzying array of federal policy announcements, firings and funding freezes.

“Now understandably, these developments have stirred unease and anxiety about what these shifts mean for the day-to-day lives of families and individuals who live here in the Virgin Islands,” he said. “I want every Virgin Islander within the sound of my voice to know one thing for sure: I hear your concerns. As a matter of fact, I share them, and my administration is not only tracking these changes but is actively engaged at every level to ensure that the priorities are being placed on the Virgin Islanders all the time and that we remain front and center of all of the conversations that are going on in Washington.”

Underscoring the point, Bryan said he has personally reached out to key Trump administration officials, including U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin and others to “lay out the unique challenges that we face in the Virgin Islands — and to call for partnership, not neglect.”

It’s not clear whether the U.S. Virgin Islands were centered — or even considered — in a proposal the U.S. Trade Representative issued last month to impose hefty fees on any Chinese-built vessel calling on a U.S. port, regardless of where that vessel is flagged. The territory is almost entirely dependent on imported food and goods, and the proposed fees would almost certainly be passed on to consumers.