Estimated read time: Less than a minute
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SALT LAKE CITY — Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, joined Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., to introduce legislation Thursday to exempt Puerto Rico from a federal shipping law to help Hurricane Maria recovery efforts.
The Jones Act requires that all goods shipped between U.S. waterborne ports be carried by American-made and American-owned vessels. Shipping costs from the mainland to Puerto Rico have been estimated to be twice as much as from neighboring countries, the senators said.
Lee said it's far past time to repeal the law, calling it another example of a federal regulation that harms American consumers, gives foreign corporations an edge over American businesses and makes disaster response harder.
Related:
AP Explains: The obscure law that slowed aid to Puerto Rico
President Donald Trump on Thursday waived a 97-year-old law to allow relief supplies to get through to Puerto Rico in the wake of devastation caused by Hurricane Maria.McCain, who has long called for a repeal, said the law has outlived its purpose to benefit special interests.
"It’s time for Congress to take action, end this injustice and help our fellow citizens in this time of need," he said.
The Donald Trump administration granted Puerto Rico a 10-day waiver from the law Thursday. But McCain said that it's not sufficient to help Puerto Rico rebuild from Maria.
