Department of Homeland Security officials said Wednesday that they are considering a request from members of Congress to waive the Jones Act in order to streamline aid to Puerto Rico.
Department officials denied reports that a waiver had been rejected by the agency. In a call with reporters, officials said that they did not take up the issue until Wednesday. They said that although they had received a letter from members of Congress they had not received an official request to waive the Jones Act, which they said usually originates from those trying to move the goods.
The Jones Act regulates maritime shipping and, among other things, requires that all goods from U.S. ports must be carried on U.S.-flag ships. This restricts vessels that are not licensed through the U.S. government from carrying goods out of their ports to other places.
A waiver can only be granted if DHS deems there is an issue of national defense. The DHS secretary is the one who grants the final waiver once the request goes through proper channels, including other agencies.
Lawmakers claim that other cheaper and readily available ships could carry goods to Puerto Rico if the waiver was granted. But DHS officials said keeping the Jones Act in place did not prevent goods from being transported to the island.
The Trump administration faced fierce backlash on Tuesday when reports surfaced that a waiver had been rejected, which DHS also denied. Lawmakers claimed it was hypocritical to have a waiver for the storms that hit the U.S. mainland and not Puerto Rico.
Sen. John McCain, Arizona Republican, asked DHS to reconsider the decision in a letter he sent to the agency Tuesday, calling their decision “unacceptable.”
“Now, more than ever, it is time to realize the devastating effect of this policy and implement a full repeal of this archaic and burdensome Act,” he wrote.
DHS officials did not expect the waiver to be granted Wednesday, but said they are trying to move quickly on the issue. A waiver was granted after Hurricane Harvey, but that extension ran out Sept. 22.
• Sally Persons can be reached at spersons@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.