AMO Currents - Rep. Palazzo discusses importance of Jones Act for economic and national security with Coast Guard

AMO Currents - Posted: April 1, 2019

Rep. Palazzo discusses importance of Jones Act for economic and national security with Coast Guard

The following article was posted March 27 on the website of Congressman Steven Palazzo (R-MS). The exchange referenced in the article can be viewed online.

Washington, DC - Congressman Steven Palazzo (MS-4) discussed the importance of the Jones Act to the nation's economic and national security during a House Appropriations Homeland Security Subcommittee hearing with Admiral Karl Schultz, Commandant of the United States Coast Guard.

The Jones Act requires ships moving between our ports to be American-crewed, American-owned, American-built, and American-flagged. The act helps ensure thousands of shipbuilding jobs aren't lost to overseas competition, while protecting our national defense interests.

Palazzo asked, "The Jones Act, why is it important to our economic and national security?"

"The Jones Act is important to the security of the nation, the merchant fleet here, and our ability to move military supplies and military out loads," Admiral Schultz responded.

"Let's say we had a large theater war in the Pacific and that part of the world - that (The Jones Act) is important," Schultz continued. "I think economically, folks have invested in that. The Jones Act gets attacked that there's cheaper ways to do business.

"The Jones Act has been in place here for about 100 years, sir, and it serves a very important - continually important - service. I think before there's any meddling with the Jones Act, people should really step back and have an informed conversation about all the puts and takes and the impacts to national security," Schultz said.

Palazzo recently led several of his house colleagues in a letter to the White House expressing strong opposition to temporarily waiving the Jones Act.