The Jones Act was established in 1920 as the Merchant Marine Act:
“Section 27, also known as the Jones Act, deals with cabotage (i.e., coastal shipping) and requires that all goods transported by water between U.S. ports be carried in U.S.-flag ships, constructed in the United States, owned by U.S. citizens, and crewed by U.S. citizens and U.S. permanent residents. The purpose of the law is to support the U.S. merchant marine industry, but agricultural interests generally oppose it because, they contend, it raises the cost of shipping their goods, making them less competitive with foreign sources. [1]
In addition, amendments to the Jones Act, known as the Cargo Preference Act (P.L. 83-644), provide permanent legislation for the transportation of waterborne cargoes in U.S.-flag vessels.”
This means that foreign owned, built and manned vessels cannot help in the oil spill cleanup unless Obama waives the Jones Act. During Katrina President Bush waived the Jones Act because of the desperate situation, why isn’t Obama doing the same now?
The Jones Act is heavily backed by labor unions. could that be Obama’s reasoning? Maybe Obama doesn’t want to make his Union buddies upset? There’s no other reason that one could possibly think of as to why Obama has not waived the Jones Act. There is absolutely no excuse for Obama, our ‘global leader’, not bring in help from around the world.
The Dutch offered their help 3 DAYS after the Gulf Oil Spill yet the Administration said:
"..While there is no need right now that the U.S. cannot meet, the U.S. Coast Guard is assessing these offers of assistance to see if there will be something which we will need in the near future."
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5 comments:
Of those entities with experience that could help with this spill are Saudi oil firms. You guys know for damn sure if the Saudis came over here with tankers to seal the well and clean up the spill you would be screaming "See, see! Muslim takeover by Obama and his friends!"
If he waives the Jones Act than all those jobs will be farmed out to cheaper laborers over seas. It isn't political, it's not about unions, it is about protecting american jobs. Don't think that the very people overseas wanting it waived don't realize that. The only way to defeat this Country is by hitting it where it hurts...The Pocket!
Its not about jobs, they've only "talked" concern for jobs thus far. Countries dont charge one another for help, especially in disasters. It's about disaster, the worse the crisis the more people will cave to the wants of this administration....cap and trade...more taxes.......until we all are totally dependent and enslaved to the powers that be. The worse is yet to come.
Never let a good crisis go to waste. It allows you the opportunity to do things you wouldn't normally be able to do.
Waiving the Jones Act would only apply to crews of vessels aiding in Gulf cleanup, not thousands of overseas jobs.
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