Delegate to Congress Stacey Plaskett.
“It is my honor to return as a member in this term, to be a voice for Virgin Islanders, all the territories, and hard working Americans,” said Congresswoman Stacey Plaskett, as she announced her return to the powerful Ways and Means Committee in the U.S. House of Representatives.
“As the oldest and chief tax-writing committee…Ways and Means has jurisdiction over key economic policy issues including revenues, trade and health care policy,” Ms. Plaskett noted.
The V.I. Delegate to Congress, who in the 117th Congress became the first territorial representative to ever serve on the committee, was axed in the 118th after Congressional Democrats lost three seats on the committee. Gains after the November 2024 elections meant that Democrats were able to add members back to Ways and Means for the 119th Congress, including Ms. Plaskett.
During her previous tenure on the committee, Ms. Plaskett said she worked to ensure that federal reimbursements for the Child Tax Credit and the Earned Income Tax Credit were included for the Virgin Islands in the American Rescue Plan Act. Valued at $20 million annually, Ms. Plasket noted that these are the funds which allow local government to make timely tax returns to Virgin Islanders. She also highlighted her work in securing a permanent extension of the Medicaid federal funding rate, which now stands at 83% – the highest level legally allowed to any state.
Looking at the work ahead, Plaskett notes that many of the temporary provisions put in place by President Biden's 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act are set to expire in 2025. “As Democrats negotiate with Republicans, we will rely on our proven record of using the tax code to invest in workers, families, and pro-growth policies to place our economy on a sustainable path,” Ms. Plaskett vowed, saying that she intends to focus on the retirement security system, social safety net, and infrastructure.
Of particular interest to the Virgin Islands, “issues of the rum cover-over, excise taxes, customs, tax incentive programs, and the Supplemental Security Income program are all within the jurisdiction of Ways and Means,” the congresswoman noted.
