Stacey Plaskett speaks during a hearing. Image credit: Office of Delegate Stacey Plaskett
Delegate Stacey Plaskett (D) of the United States Virgin Islands announced that the United States House of Representatives passed a bipartisan appropriations package covering Commerce, Justice, Science; Energy and Water Development; and Interior and Environment programs for fiscal year 2026.
The legislation includes funding for the US Virgin Islands and rejects proposed cuts to domestic programs put forward by the Trump administration. The bill will next be considered by the United States Senate before being sent to the president for signature.
According to Plaskett, the package includes $1,172,000 in Community Project Funding for programs in the territory. That funding includes $1,031,000 for the Family Resource Center Emergency Shelter and Victim Services Expansion Project and $141,000 for Project Cultiv8te, an after-school program focused on gun violence intervention for at-risk youth.
The funding is in addition to eight Community Project Funding requests secured in November 2025. Those earlier projects included $857,000 for the St. Clair Institute to renovate the St. Clair House for mental health and substance abuse recovery services and $788,000 for the Bush Tea and Therapy Foundation to expand the Frederiksted Center for Community Wellness.
Plaskett said the legislation also eliminates policy provisions proposed by Republicans and includes guardrails aimed at limiting executive overreach. The bill requires minimum staffing levels at several federal agencies, including the Environmental Protection Agency, Forest Service, National Park Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, and Bureau of Land Management, and mandates congressional notification before funds are reprogrammed.
The package provides $117,217,000 to the Office of Insular Affairs, which administers federal assistance to the United States territories and freely associated states. Funding supports technical assistance, maintenance, disaster assistance, coral reef initiatives, and natural resources activities.
Additional funding included in the bill allocates $10.4 billion for water infrastructure through the Army Corps of Engineers, $3.1 billion for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy programs, and $8.8 billion for the Environmental Protection Agency. The legislation also preserves funding for programs the Trump administration sought to eliminate, including the Weatherization Assistance Program, the National Endowments for the Arts and Humanities, and Violence Against Women Act grants.
The bill also secures funding for the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum and the National Museum of the American Latino.
The appropriations package builds on the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2026, which provided temporary funding through January 30, 2026, and full-year appropriations for several federal departments. Funding for other departments remains temporary and is set to expire at the end of the month.
Plaskett said she will continue advocating for full-year appropriations for remaining departments to ensure stable funding for services affecting the US Virgin Islands.
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