These U.S. Congressional Lawmakers Tour The US Virgin Islands Post Irma and Maria

Senator Kamala Harris, l., who has roots in the Caribbean, was among those who toured St. Thomas post hurricanes Irma and Maria on Nov. 5, 2017. (USVI Governor’s Office image)

News Americas, ST. THOMAS, U.S.V.I, Tues. Nov. 7, 2017: A bi-partisan group of U.S. Congressional lawmakers toured parts of the U.S. Virgin Islands Sunday, some 47 days after Hurricanes Irma and Maria decimated the U.S. territory.

The delegation included Senator Kamala Harris, (D-California), Senator Lisa Murkowski, (R-Alaska), Senator Bill Cassidy, (R-Louisiana), Senator Tom Carper, (D-Delaware), Senator Al Franken, (D-Minnesota), Rep. Peter DeFazio, (D-Oregon), Rep. Bill Shuster, (R-Pennsylvania) and Rep. Garret Graves (R-Louisiana) who saw firsthand some of the devastation wreaked by the hurricanes.

USVI Governor Kenneth E. Mapp led the Congressional representatives on a tour of severely damaged areas throughout St. Thomas, including the Tutu High Rise housing projects and Roy L. Schneider Hospital.

The visit came ahead of the governor’s planned testimony before the U.S. Senate and House Energy and Natural Resources Committees next week.  The cost for complete recovery of the U.S.V.I. has been estimated at $5.5 billion. Most of the island remains without power and running water and communications remains poor even though the curfew island wide has been lifted.