In order to build relationships with her colleagues in the federal agencies affecting the territory and the region, Delegate Stacey Plaskett is traveling this week to Puerto Rico, according to a statement released from her office.
Plaskett said she hopes to facilitate a relationship that will lend to more efficient operation of the various programs in the U.S. Virgin Islands that are managed through regional offices in Puerto Rico and Florida.
“Our offices hear from Virgin Islanders every day requesting help with a federal program or agency. Many of these programs, however, are facilitated through offices in either Puerto Rico or Florida,” Plaskett said.
“Our goal is to identify the programs and services that impact Virgin Islanders most, isolate any inefficiency, and develop ways to improve services," she said.
Plaskett is scheduled to meet officials at the Veterans Affairs Hospital in Puerto Rico on Tuesday. The VA Caribbean Healthcare System provides services to a population of 150,000 Veterans in Puerto Rico and the USVI.
On Wednesday, Plaskett is scheduled to meet with Customs and Border Protection officials and the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area task force.
V.I. Sens. Novelle Francis, Justin Harrigan, and Sammuel Sanes are joining Plaskett and will attend some of the meetings scheduled over the course of the two-day visit, according to Plaskett’s office.
