Puerto Rico: Trump Waives Jones Act Restrictions To Boost Recovery

A day after President Donald Trump said he was hesitant to waive the Jones Act, a law that would help expedite recovery in Hurricane Maria-ravaged Puerto Rico, the administration reversed course and waived the federal restrictions.

White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders tweeted Thursday that Trump had authorized waiving the act for the U.S. territory. Trump is responding to a request from the governor, and it "will go into effect immediately," she said.

The Jones Act bans foreign-flagged ships from transporting goods between U.S. ports. Republicans and Democrats encouraged Trump to waive the act, saying it could help get much-needed supplies delivered to Puerto Rico more quickly and at a reduced cost. (For more information on this and other White House stories, subscribe to Patch to receive daily newsletters and breaking news alerts. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app.)

At @ricardorossello request, @POTUS has authorized the Jones Act be waived for Puerto Rico. It will go into effect immediately.
— Sarah Sanders (@PressSec) September 28, 2017

Trump on Wednesday cited business concerns as the reason for his hesitation. But he previously waived it during Hurricanes Harvey and Irma to help Florida and Texas recover.

“A lot of people who are in the shipping industry don’t want” it lifted, he said, explaining that while he is considering a waiver, he has so far refused to grant it. "We have a lot of ships out there right now."

Since the hurricane struck more than one week ago, many of the residents of the island have suffered without power, water, gas and food.

Federal disaster relief accounts will receive a nearly $7 billion dollar boost by the end of the week to help Puerto Rico, House Speaker Paul Ryan said.

Ryan said "huge capital injection will occur in two days" to the Federal Emergency Management Agency's disaster relief account. Trump also waived a matching funds requirement, Ryan said, meaning the cash-strapped island won't have to contribute to the initial costs of the federal assistance.

Ryan, a Wisconsin Republican, said he expects the Trump administration will ask lawmakers for a long-term recovery package once the damage is tabulated.

"We will quickly act on that request," Ryan said.

The priority now is humanitarian and rescue missions, he said.

“Imagine Katrina,” Luis Miranda, who is helping coordinate relief efforts, told Patch earlier this week. “But so much worse. There is no electricity. It will be months. The island is in desperate need of help. People do not know just how bad it is is. The damage has been massive. Communication is very limited.

“The entire country is without electricity."

On Tuesday, Sen. John McCain, a Republican from Arizona who has been calling for the reform of the act, which was passed in the wake of World War I, wrote to the Department of Homeland Security imploring it to waive the act and questioning why DHS hasn't.

"I am very concerned by the Department’s decision not to waive the Jones Act for current relief efforts in Puerto Rico, which is facing a worsening humanitarian crisis following Hurricane Maria," he wrote. "It is unacceptable to force the people of Puerto Rico to pay at least twice as much for food, clean drinking water, supplies and infrastructure due to Jones Act requirements as they work to recover from this disaster.

"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."

DHS said no, saying that lifting the act wouldn't do anything to address the real issue causing problems getting supplies to the island — damage to the ports.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

People wait in line to for gas as they deal with the aftermath of Hurricane Maria on Sept. 25, 2017 in San Juan Puerto Rico. Maria left widespread damage across Puerto Rico, with virtually the whole island without power or cell service. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)