On the recordMay 16, 2019
I rise here today commending President Trump for not waiving the Jones Act. This is a hypothetical picture, thank goodness, a Chinese-built vessel, subsidized by their communist regime, operated by the Chinese, and delivering Chinese goods, all in the very heartland of the United States of America. But this could easily become a reality if the Jones Act is waived. For the past 100 years, the Jones Act has brought strength and certainty to maritime commerce here in the United States. It has protected the rights of American sailors, created and maintained American jobs, and been one of the single largest factors in facilitating the strong American economy that we are enjoying. The Jones Act states that goods shipped between U.S. ports are to be built, owned, and operated by the citizens of the United States, and to support the Jones Act would be an easy decision to continue promoting the policy of America first. To waive the Jones Act would be to directly jeopardize our national security, our economic growth, and our ability to provide American jobs all across this country. Worst of all, waiving the Jones Act would be allowing these foreign-operated ships into our waterways and could be opening the door to espionage. These foreign vessels would have the potential to literally threaten our national security by exposing our waterways to very real threats.…
