Territory's Consultants in Washington Tout Republican Connections as USVI Seeks Federal Support Under Trump Administration

The Republican control of the White House, Senate and House of Representatives was a topic of discussion as the V.I. Government's Washington advisors and consultants presented updates to the V.I. Public Finance Authority during Wednesday's board meeting.

We are particularly well-suited to help the territory now with President Trump back in the White House, Republican majorities on both side of the Capitol,” said Bill Schuster, senior policy advisor at Squire Patton Boggs (SPB) and former Republican representative from Pennsylvania who served as chair of the House Transformation and Infrastructure Committee. Mr. Schuster touted his personal relationships with Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy, EPA administrator Lee Zeldin, and Kristi Noem, Secretary of Homeland Security.

“She's a great selection for Homeland Security, and I'm sure she's going to be interacting with the islands in the coming days and months,” Mr. Schuster predicted. He also called Mehmet Oz, President Trump's pick to lead the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, “a good friend.”

“As I go through President Trump's new cabinet, I think there's someone at SPB who has a personal connection to just about every one of them,” Mr. Schuster boasted. He sought to reassure PFA board members that the federal government would not lose interest in supporting the Virgin Islands. “President Trump can be unpredictable, but there's one thing to be sure he understands, is the strategic importance of the territories of the United States,” Mr. Schuster said, referring to the Republican campaign platform which holds U.S. territories as “vital to national security.”