[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 148 (Wednesday, September 10, 2025)]
[House]
[Pages H4169-H4170]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     MARKING SOLEMN EIGHTH ANNIVERSARY OF HURRICANES IRMA AND MARIA

  (Ms. Plaskett of the Virgin Islands was recognized to address the 
House for 5 minutes.)
  Ms. PLASKETT. Madam Speaker, as we mark the solemn eighth anniversary 
of Hurricanes Irma and Maria making landfall in the Virgin Islands, 
each as Category 5 hurricanes, I rise today to speak about the 
remarkable resilience of Virgin Islanders, the critical Federal 
partnership that secured the necessary funding for our recovery, and 
the transformative opportunity which is on the cusp of realization for 
our people.
  On September 6, 2017, Hurricane Irma pummeled the territory, shredded 
roofs, destroyed our utilities, and shattered lives.

[[Page H4170]]

  Two weeks later, Hurricane Maria made landfall in the Virgin Islands, 
wreaking destruction across parts of the territory already spared from 
Irma.
  The devastation was complete and overwhelming. Our hospitals were 
destroyed. Schools were left in ruins. Our children shared schools for 
2 years, and thousands of homes were uninhabitable. Our residents lived 
without electricity for 9 months.
  In those darkest hours, I witnessed something extraordinary: the 
unbreakable spirit of Virgin Islanders. We came together to support one 
another, rebuild our community, and lay the foundation for a stronger 
and more resilient future.
  While others simply saw the need to rebuild, I saw an opportunity for 
transformation. Many in my home in leadership said I was asking for too 
much and I was out of place.
  By showing Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle how many 
times infrastructure had been rebuilt after storms and how expensive 
that was, Congress recognized that the prudent replacement required 
that the Virgin Islands should rebuild not how things were at the time 
of the storm but how they should have been.
  As the Representative in Congress for my home at the time, I knew 
that recovery of this magnitude would require unprecedented Federal 
support and innovative approaches.
  That is why we fought for and secured transformational changes in 
Federal law through the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018. This legislation 
allowed FEMA, for the duration of our recovery, to rebuild our critical 
infrastructure with resilient design features up to the latest industry 
building standards, regardless of what existed before the storms.

                              {time}  1030

  This was not just a policy change. It was a paradigm shift. Instead 
of simply replacing what we lost, we could build infrastructure 
designed to withstand future storms and serve our community for 
generations.
  I personally brought drafters of the legislation to meet with local 
government and FEMA officials to ensure that they understood the intent 
of this body in changing that law.
  The numbers speak for themselves of the historic investments in the 
territory: almost $2 billion for rebuilding of our hospitals, several 
billion dollars for our schools, and more than $4 billion for the 
Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority. There was a total of $20 
billion flowing to our population.
  Recognizing that even this massive investment could be undermined by 
local matching requirements, I worked tirelessly with the last 
administration to secure an increase in the Federal cost share to 95 
percent for public assistance categories and 98 percent for larger 
critical infrastructure. This will save our territory $1 billion in 
matching funds that we simply do not have.
  Unfortunately, the local government has, at times, exacerbated the 
slow pace of rebuilding. The first years after the storm were not used 
to sufficiently build capacity or develop integrated project 
management, and we have had fits and starts in rebuilding.
  Our isolation and relatively small size creates difficulty in 
obtaining supplies and labor. This is further exacerbated by delays 
that occurred at HUD and FEMA. However, the story of the Virgin Islands 
recovery is, ultimately, a story about partnership between Federal and 
local government; between Congress and our territory; and, most 
importantly, among Virgin Islanders themselves.
  We must be focused, transparent, adaptable, and driven to make our 
home the jewel of the Caribbean. It is a testament to what we can 
achieve when we refuse to accept that natural disasters must define our 
destiny.
  As we move forward, we carry with us the lessons learned from 
Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Maria. We cannot and we will not squander 
this transformational opportunity. We will build smarter, stronger, 
more resilient, and we will continue to prove that Virgin Islanders, 
undeterred by any challenge, remain VI Strong.

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