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WASHINGTON, USA -- On Friday, Governor John de Jongh voiced several goals and concerns of the US Virgin Islands at a meeting with President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and fellow Democratic governors in the nation’s capitol.

The assembled governors discussed several topics Obama raised in his State of the Union speech, including the upcoming sequester budget cuts and early childhood education funding.

De Jongh said he will continue to pursue a combination of objectives during meetings of the National Governors Association and Democratic Governors Association over the weekend in Washington D.C.

“It is important to share with federal policymakers, legislators, and governors of other states and territories our concern about damaging budget cuts that will set back our recovering tourism sector. I also want to ensure the Virgin Islands is rightfully included in federal initiatives, especially involving early childhood education,” de Jongh said.

“Early childhood education is an area where we have invested quite a bit of effort here in the Virgin Islands, and I wanted to share our progress and make sure the territory participates in any federal programs soon to come,” the governor said.

Instead of opting for the deep, automatic and across-the-board budget cuts invoked by the sequestration, efforts to reduce the deficit should emphasize balance between spending cuts and revenue measures, de Jongh said. The sequestration cuts would inflict unnecessary economic damage upon the country and the US Virgin Islands, he believes.

Sequester cuts to the military could also reduce the readiness of the Virgin Islands National Guard, de Jongh noted.

At Friday’s meeting, de Jongh answered a direct question from Biden about the territory’s broadband initiative and the impact in the US Virgin Islands of stimulus funding. The governor said he also hopes to discuss with Attorney General Eric Holder a federal commitment to protecting the territory’s shores through the Initiative of Caribbean Basin Security.

“This weekend is an opportunity to have those discussions with my fellow governors from both parties and officials from the Obama administration,” de Jongh said.

De Jongh travelled to Washington, D.C. on Thursday evening to attend the Winter Meeting of the National Governors Association, which runs through Monday.

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