Sarauw pursues Energy Committee seat as she settles into Congress

Janelle Sarauw, who captured nearly 77 percent of the vote in the November 3 delegate race, has made the House Energy and Commerce Committee her primary goal as she begins orientation ahead of the 120th Congress in January.

The committee oversees national energy policy, electricity infrastructure, healthcare programs, Medicaid and public health. Sarauw told The Virgin Islands Consortium that both the territory's electricity crisis and its public health challenges fall squarely within that jurisdiction.

"That's where matters of public health fall..we have an energy crisis, and we have a public health crisis," she said during her first week in Washington.

Incoming Governor Stacey Plaskett shares similar priorities. Plaskett plans to declare a state of emergency tied to the Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority when she takes office and request federal help to fix the territory's unreliable and costly power system.

Sarauw's second preference is the Agriculture Committee, where she believes the territory could benefit from federal farm legislation. A multiyear farm bill remains incomplete, and she expects the new Congress may finish it.

She has also flagged financial services, transportation, workforce development and labor as areas matching her legislative aims. The House Committee on Natural Resources, which handles territorial matters, holds little appeal for her.

"I'm not interested in a committee that houses territories," she said.

During her orientation, Sarauw has built connections with senior House Democrats, including Pete Aguilar, chair of the Democratic Congressional Caucus, and Ted Lieu, the vice chair who is expected to pursue the top role. She has also met with Representative Lauren Underwood, who is seeking the vice chair position.

Sarauw characterized her opening days in the capital as demanding. Establishing an office, hiring staff and navigating Capitol Hill's operations have arrived all at once.

"I liken it to dropping me off to college, and I have to gain new friends, find my way around campus, find a place to live," she said.

A key element of her approach centres on her partnership with Plaskett, who currently holds the congressional seat Sarauw will take on January 3. Sarauw has praised Plaskett for her support during the transition and noted shared concerns about coordination between the delegate's office and the territorial government under outgoing Governor Albert Bryan Jr.

Sarauw and Plaskett intend to strengthen communication between Washington and Government House to ensure the territory maximises its federal advocacy efforts.

Sarauw credited her background as an NCAA Division I athlete with preparing her for the role. "Nobody will outwork me, outprepare me," she said. "Because I love the VI, I prepared for the VI..I didn't stumble upon this by accident."