The Merchant Marine Act of 1920, more commonly referred to as the Jones Act, has become a point of contention in the wake of Hurricane Maria. The act ” requires that all people and goods travelling from one U.S. port to another be carried on U.S. owned, flagged and crewed ships” [1]. This protectionist measure is, by the President’s own admission, still in place because “we have a lot of shippers and a lot of people… who work in the shipping industry that don’t want the Jones Act lifted” [2]. The act normally results in higher prices for everyday goods on the island of Puerto Rico, and in the wake of this disaster, it could severely hamper the ability to get emergency supplies to the island. President Trump temporarily suspended the act for Puerto Rico for 10 days [3]. However, critics say the rebuild effort could last years, and the waiver should be extended. For this reason, John McCain has sponsored a bill to permanently exempt Puerto Rico from the Jones Act [4]. Craig Caplan of C-Span is now reporting that Majority Leader McConnell has invoked Rule XIV to fast-track a vote on McCain’s bill [5].

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