In eighth State of the Territories appearance, Governor advances a clear agenda for healthcare equity, investment, energy security and continued economic growth
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Governor Albert Bryan Jr. used his eighth and final appearance before the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources on Wednesday to present a forward-looking agenda for the U.S. Virgin Islands and urge Congress to help build on nearly eight years of recovery, economic progress and stronger federal partnership.
Testifying at the committee’s annual State of the Territories hearing at the U.S. Capitol, Governor Bryan joined the governors of all five U.S. territories in outlining priorities requiring congressional action.
Governor Bryan called on Congress to:
- Eliminate the federal Medicaid funding cap so funding can respond to enrollment and economic need, as it does in the states.
- Modernize hospital reimbursement rates by replacing the outdated TEFRA system with a structure that reflects the true cost of providing modern healthcare in the Virgin Islands.
- Extend Supplemental Security Income benefits to eligible Virgin Islanders so elderly and disabled American citizens are not denied assistance solely because they live in a territory.
- Fund U.S. Customs and Border Protection operations through regular federal appropriations rather than requiring the Virgin Islands to reimburse the federal government for core border security, customs and trade services.
- Support a responsible restart of the St. Croix refinery to strengthen domestic energy security, restore industrial capacity and create jobs for Virgin Islanders.
- Correct federal tax policies that discourage investment by treating the Virgin Islands like a foreign jurisdiction despite its congressionally established mirror-code tax system.
- Defend Virgin Islands businesses from foreign economic actions, including the British Virgin Islands’ sharp increase in charter licensing fees and the European Union’s continued blacklisting of the Territory.
- Expand access to the H-2B visa program so the Territory can secure the electricians, plumbers, carpenters and other skilled workers needed to complete federally funded recovery projects.
The Governor said these reforms would strengthen healthcare, attract investment, accelerate rebuilding and allow the Virgin Islands to contribute more fully to America’s energy security, maritime presence and regional economic leadership.
“The people of the Virgin Islands are not asking for special treatment,” Governor Bryan said. “We are asking Congress to remove these barriers to guarantee that we have the same opportunities, the same tools, and the same chance to succeed that every American community on the mainland enjoys.”
In his final appearance before the committee as Governor, Governor Bryan reflected on an administration that helped guide the Territory through the aftermath of two Category 5 hurricanes, a global pandemic and the temporary shutdown of its tourism economy.
He told senators that the Virgin Islands did more than endure those challenges. It rebuilt, strengthened its tourism industry and emerged with a more resilient community and a clearer path toward long-term growth.
“As I prepare to conclude my service as Governor, I do so with great pride,” Governor Bryan said. “I have watched Virgin Islanders rebuild with the resilience, determination, and patriotism that have always defined our community.”
Governor Bryan said the next phase of progress requires federal policies that recognize both the needs and the strategic value of the Virgin Islands.
On healthcare, he argued that American citizenship should carry the same protections regardless of geography. An elderly or disabled citizen should not lose access to SSI simply by moving from a state to the Virgin Islands, he said.
“Their citizenship has not changed. Their circumstances have not changed. Only their address,” Governor Bryan said.
On economic development, the Governor renewed his call for federal support for a responsible restart of the St. Croix refinery. He said the facility could once again serve as an economic engine for the Territory while strengthening American energy security and domestic industrial capacity.
He also urged Congress to revise federal tax rules that can discourage investment in the Virgin Islands.
“The Virgin Islands is not a foreign country,” Governor Bryan said.
Governor Bryan said correcting those policies would help attract new investment, broaden the Territory’s economy and create opportunities that allow more Virgin Islanders to build their futures at home.
He also urged federal action against external pressures affecting local businesses, including increased British Virgin Islands charter fees and the European Union’s continued designation of the Virgin Islands as a non-cooperative jurisdiction, despite the Territory’s inability to negotiate treaties or independently rewrite federal tax laws.
The Governor pointed to the permanent extension of the rum cover-over rate as proof of what sustained advocacy and bipartisan cooperation can accomplish. The measure provided long-term certainty for a foundational Virgin Islands industry and strengthened the Territory’s ability to invest in infrastructure, support pension stability and reduce debt.
“When the Virgin Islands is given the same tools available to other American communities, we put them to work,” Governor Bryan said.
Throughout his tenure, Governor Bryan has used the annual hearing to advance the Territory’s interests and make the case that federal investment in the Virgin Islands also strengthens the nation.
His final testimony presented the Territory not as a community defined by past disasters or longstanding disparities, but as a resilient and increasingly capable American jurisdiction ready to play a larger role in the nation’s future.
“The Virgin Islands is not just a Territory seeking assistance — we are an American asset,” Governor Bryan said. “We have the potential to strengthen our Nation’s maritime presence, energy security, and economic leadership.”
Governor Bryan closed by urging Congress to build on the progress achieved during his administration and give the next generation of Virgin Islanders the tools to compete, prosper and contribute fully to the nation.
“All we ask is the opportunity to contribute on equal footing with every other American community,” he said.
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