Celebrating the Jones Act Centennial

Today, June 5, 2020, marks the 100th anniversary of the Jones Act, which holds all domestic waterborne commerce for private sector merchant vessels owned, built, flagged and staffed in the United States.

This venerable law - Section 27 of the Merchant Marine Act of 1920 - accounts for many AMO jobs in the deep-sea, Great Lakes and inland waters sectors and more than 600,000 rewarding American jobs at sea and ashore nationwide.

Named for U.S. Senator Wesley Jones of the State of Washington, the Jones Act endures on conspicuous merit - strengthening the U.S. economy, shielding U.S. ports, harbors and Great Lakes and inland water routes from foreign nationals with harmful intent, and providing U.S.-flagged merchant ships and what Thomas Jefferson called "a respectable body of citizen seafarers" for strategic sealift and other U.S. military support services in national security emergencies - all at no cost to U.S. taxpayers.

Despite its legitimate and lasting value, the Jones Act remains under relentless attack from narrow but powerful interests. In the current Congress, for example, multiple bills pending in the Senate or in the House of Representatives would repeal the Jones Act, weaken Jones Act waiver requirements, or limit the number of Jones Act carriers that can serve any single specific Jones Act market.

In addition, there are persistent but unwarranted calls for Jones Act waivers or exemptions for Puerto Rico, Hawaii, Alaska and Guam, and the United Kingdom is reportedly seeking a Jones Act waiver to allow British-owned ships - regardless of flag state or crew origin - to operate directly between ports on the U.S. East Coast.

The good news is that pending legislation targeting the Jones Act is languishing with little or no attention on Capitol Hill, and Jones Act waiver and exemption requests have thus far been denied administratively because of the influence wielded by Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao and Maritime Administrator Mark Buzby.

The Jones Act stands as well because of a broad, bipartisan support base in both the House and the Senate, a reliable legislative force that includes Republicans and Democrats in leadership positions - a Jones Act support squad sustained over many years in significant part by American Maritime Officers and its AMO Voluntary Political Action Fund.

We in AMO can best celebrate the Jones Act's centennial by standing strong in what too often seems an endless battle - restricting maritime services between and among U.S. ports to domestic business interests and reliable, loyal and experienced U.S. merchant mariners.

Paul Doell
June 5, 2020