Dec. 20, 2007 — Congress completed action and sent to President Bush Wednesday a massive $555 billion spending bill which contains $4.7 million in special earmarked appropriations for the Virgin Islands. The Congressional action came after House and Senate negotiators reached final agreement over the weekend on domestic spending levels for the current fiscal year and funding for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Gov. John deJongh Jr. said he was pleased with the spending package. “The omnibus bill includes $2.8 million for wastewater improvements and other environmental infrastructure in the Territory, $750,000 for the purchase of a new ferry for the mass transit division of the Department of Public Works, $400,000 for the purchase of 4 to 6 new buses for VI Trans, and $658,000 for new communications and other law enforcement equipment for the V.I. Police Department. I am pleased that Congress was so responsive to our needs in a very difficult budget climate in Washington,” he said.
DeJongh said these funds will go a long way toward improving the quality of life in the Virgin Islands. Passage of the omnibus bill, which consolidated 11 of the 12 appropriations bills needed to fund the federal government, also follows passage earlier this year of a landmark water development bill which provided a special $25 million authorization for Virgin Islands water projects beginning in the next fiscal year.
“I want to thank both the Democratic as well as the Republican members of the Congressional appropriations committees who supported our requests for special funding,” deJongh said. “I also want to thank Delegate Donna Christensen and her legislative staff for their hard work in helping to secure these funds.”
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