The decision by the Trump Administration to extend waivers of the Jones Act for another 90 days is deeply concerning and fundamentally misguided.
The Jones Act exists to protect our national security, sustain a strong domestic shipbuilding industry, and ensure a reliable, American-controlled maritime workforce. Repeatedly undermining it through broad and prolonged waivers sends the wrong message—to workers, to industry, and to our global competitors. What was intended to be a narrow, temporary relief mechanism is being stretched into a policy workaround that weakens the very foundation of our maritime capabilities.
At a time when the United States should be investing in and strengthening its shipyards, workforce, and supply chains, this action does the opposite. It undercuts American mariners, threatens good-paying union jobs, and chips away at the industrial base we rely on in times of crisis.
If there are genuine supply challenges, the answer is not to bypass American workers—it is to invest in them. Build capacity. Strengthen domestic production. Support the workforce that keeps this country moving and secure.
Extending these waivers is not a solution. It is an abdication of responsibility. The Administration should reverse course, uphold the Jones Act as intended, and commit to policies that reinforce—not erode—America’s maritime strength.
and then