ICYMI from The Washington Examiner: In Jones Act fight, Trump needs to choose America’s economy over Washington cronies

Apr 26, 2019 by AFP

The Jones Act harms American businesses and props-up cronies. Now is the time for full repeal.

“It’s a fight between the petroleum industry and the shipping industry. It’s a fight between free enterprise and cronyist regulation. And it’s a fight between the U.S. economy and the self-dealing swamp.

…

The Jones Act is a century-old law that restricts American companies who want to ship stuff to American buyers. All such shipments must happen on U.S.-flagged ships, the Jones Act demands.

This law obviously drives up the price American buyers pay for any U.S. goods transported by ship or could be. It also cuts into the profits of the U.S. sellers. Sometimes, the Jones Act forces U.S. companies to buy from foreign companies, because there are simply no U.S. ships available for the job, thus making it effectively illegal to buy U.S. goods.

There also aren’t enough U.S.-flagged ships that can transport LNG. The result is perverse: “Russian LNG was delivered to Massachusetts last year,” Bloomberg reported this week, “to help supply consumers in the Northeast U.S.

Foreign oil producers are beating American oil producers on selling to American consumers — all because of the Jones Act.

…

In the coming days, Trump will hear both sides. One side will be arguing for old regulations that just help the well-connected. The other side will be arguing for less regulation and making it easier for American companies to buy American stuff.

It’s not a hard call…”

Click here to read the full op-ed.

For further information or to set up an interview, please send an email to GCipriano@afphq.org.

Through broad-based grassroots outreach, Americans for Prosperity (AFP) is driving long-term solutions to the country’s biggest problems. AFP activists engage friends and neighbors on key issues and encourage them to take an active role in building a culture of mutual benefit, where people succeed by helping one another. AFP recruits and unites activists in 35 states behind a common goal of advancing policies that will help people improve their lives. For more information, visit www.americansforprosperity.org

###