ST. CROIX — An open letter from Senator Marvin Blyden calling for a Committee of the Whole hearing on the territory’s economic outlook drew a response from Senate President Milton Potter, who said Wednesday a hearing is forthcoming and suggested the letter was unnecessary.
On Monday, Blyden sent the letter to Potter following up on a March 20 request to convene a Committee of the Whole hearing to examine the territory’s economic challenges in the face of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
Blyden wrote that while he had previously been told a hearing would be held, no date has been scheduled. Nearly two months after that initial request, he noted conditions have worsened.
“These are not ordinary times, and they require extraordinary measures,” Blyden told WTJX. “As senators, our failure to be timely and proactive in addressing these issues will result in real pain and suffering for our people because that’s who it’s about.”
Blyden told WTJX senators need to immediately hold a hearing with stakeholders because they do not have time to wait. He said rising costs are already negatively affecting business owners, noting that he has visited many stores in the territory.
“I speak with the owners,” he said. “They show me their books. And right now, some of them are saying they don’t know how long this is going to last in terms of them being open because they’re going to have to put the cost on to the customer. They’re going to put the cost on to us — the public. And guess what? We’re talking about basic necessities — bread, milk, water, you name it. It’s all going to increase tremendously the longer this war goes on.”
An Associated Press report Wednesday said food prices for groceries rose 2.9% in April compared to a year earlier, while overall food costs increased 3.2%, according to the U.S. Department of Labor’s consumer price index. The report also noted rising energy and fuel prices have added pressure to transportation and production costs, which economists say typically take months to fully reach retail grocery shelves.
Blyden also raised concerns about the tourism sector.
“These developments are not remote or abstract — they have direct and immediate implications for airlift capacity, airfare pricing, visitor demand, and ultimately government revenues and the quality of life for Virgin Islands residents,” he wrote.
Potter, in a press release issued Wednesday, said the Legislature has already addressed many of the issues Blyden raised and pushed back on the suggestion that lawmakers have been inactive.
“Senator Blyden’s open letter warrants a direct and factual response,” Potter said in a statement.
Potter cited a Committee of the Whole hearing held March 3, 2025, which he said examined “precisely the economic pressures my colleague now characterizes as unexamined,” including fuel costs, freight and shipping, pricing of consumer goods, and broader economic stressors.
“That hearing was not incidental; it was intentional and comprehensive,” Potter stated, listing testifiers that came to last year’s meeting from the Department of Licensing and Consumer Affairs, Economic Development Authority, University of the Virgin Islands, Tropical Shipping, the St. Thomas/St. John Chamber of Commerce, Housing Finance Authority, Energy Office, and Water and Power Authority. “The suggestion that this Legislature has been inattentive to economic conditions in the Virgin Islands is simply inaccurate.”
Blyden pointed out that global events have since shifted the economic reality.
“That was over a year ago,” he said. “We are in 2026. We are in May of 2026. And was there any war with Iran at that time? I don’t think so.”
Potter added that scheduling constraints had delayed a new hearing but said one would be convened. He noted that he told Blyden mandatory legislative obligations, hearings, sessions, and institutional commitments already on the calendar made it impossible to immediately accommodate his scheduling request.
“I assured him, as I assure the public now, that this hearing will be scheduled in short order, when the legislative calendar will allow,” Potter stated. “That commitment stands.”
The Senate president also addressed Blyden’s decision to raise the issue publicly.
“I do not need to be pressured into action through open letters on matters I have already addressed, and on timelines I have already communicated,” he stated. “As Senate president, my position on this matter remains firm and unchanged.”
Blyden told WTJX that the 2025 hearing cited by Potter does not reflect current conditions, noting it was more than a year ago. He said global developments and rising costs have significantly changed the economic landscape since then.
“We must, if we call ourselves leaders, face these issues and work with public and private sector entities to respond in the best way we can,” he said.
Blyden said he issued the follow-up letter after the requested hearing was not scheduled.
“I was promised it was going to happen, and it didn’t happen,” he said.
Blyden emphasized that his focus is on addressing economic pressures affecting residents.
“It’s not about us, it’s about our people,” he said. “And they are under pressure every day, deciding whether to buy food or pay the light bill.”
Blyden reiterated his call for immediate action, warning that costs are likely to continue rising.
“We cannot be reactive,” he said. “We must be proactive. That’s my point. That’s the bottom line.”
