Feb. 22, 2009 — Gov. John deJongh Jr. began paving the way for discussion of territorial issues during a Saturday afternoon meeting with White House Director of Intergovernmental Affairs Cecilia Munoz.
A Government House statement said the meeting took place at the JW Marriott Hotel in Washington D.C. which is hosting the annual winter meeting of the National Governors Association.
“I sought an opportunity to have a one on one discussion with the newly named White House Director of Intergovernmental Affairs Cecilia Munoz and her deputy, Shaun Mc Grath,” deJongh said in the statement. "The meeting allowed me to have a candid discussion with these two officials on how Virgin Islands issues will be handled at the White House."
DeJongh said the discussions focused on technical assistance needed for the territory to properly obligate stabilization fund monies provided in the federal economic stimulus bill. Other topics of discussion included a point of contact for U.S. territories at the White House level, the relationship between the territories and the Department of Interior and the third-party fiduciary which oversees the V.I. government’s spending of federal dollars earmarked for the Virgin Islands Department of Education.
DeJongh received assurances Saturday that the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs will advocate on behalf of the offshore territories which include the U.S. Virgin Islands. The Governor had expressed his concern that too often, the territories are not included in the policy-making decisions of the federal government.
On Sunday, deJongh will host a meeting of governors from the other U.S. territories to address both the federal stimulus legislation and territorial coordination on other issues.
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