JULY 17, 2017 — Here’s another piece of legislation that, mercifully, has no chance whatsoever of passage. U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ) has yet again introduced legislation that would repeal the Merchant Marine Act of 1920, or the Jones Act. This year’s version is called the Open America’s Waters Act of 2017.
“I have long advocated the repeal of the Jones Act, an archaic and burdensome law that hinders free trade, stifles the economy, and ultimately harms consumers,” said Senator McCain. "My legislation would eliminate this regulation, freeing American shippers from the requirement that they act against their own business interests. By allowing U.S. shippers to purchase affordable foreign-made carriers, this legislation would reduce shipping costs, make American farmers and businesses more competitive in the global marketplace, and bring down the cost of goods and services for American consumers.
“The protectionist mentality embodied by the Jones Act directly contradicts the lessons we have learned about the benefits of a free and open market. Free trade expands economic growth, creates jobs, and lowers costs for consumers. I urge my colleagues to support this bill and finally repeal the outdated and protectionist Jones Act.”
No mention of the destruction of American shipbuilding and merchant marine jobs that repeal of the Jones Act would mean.
God help each and every one of us if he is successful this time
I don’t think it will pass, I hope it won’t pass. Even if it did I would like to think Trump would veto it. But if it does pass we’re all out of jobs, and wages will plummet further for those of us who aren’t replaced by Indians or Filipinos.
I hate to wish ill on the man but it would be nice if he was forced to retire very soon.
I think the orange sphincter’s protectionist agenda only applies to his friends and those he wants to pretend are his friends. I don’t doubt for one minute that he will sell us down the tube in a heartbeat if it gets him a photo op with the president of Liberia or some other Bumfukistan FoC country where he wants to build a resort.
… And he’s a business man. Tell him that it would help American businesses and he’d sell Ivanka. Doing away with the Jones Act would probably seem sensible to him.
I think some adrmiral who didnt fly planes would explain what happened in the first Gulf war when they couldnt get foreign ships to take cargoes. Once he understands the concept of sealift and learns of MSC i think we would all be fine
I think he understands all he wants to understand. He understands who bought him and what they pay him to do. His loyalties do not lie with the American people or America’s best interests.
I don’t think he say anything about replacing US Mariners with foreigners, only to allow US owners to buy or build vessels outside USA, even for domestic trade. That do not prohibit a cabotage law that stipulate US flag and US crews on such vessels.
Direct quote of McCain’s intent: “I have long advocated for a full repeal of The Jones Act …"
Since he received such strong pushback on that effort, he modified it slightly to say he just wants to do away with the US build requirement. That is his version of the camel’s nose in the merchant marine tent. His handlers will not quit until McCain leaves Washington … we can only hope that will not be too far in the future.
McCain’s efforts to destroy what little is left of the American merchant marine is a poster child for the corruption that defines our congress these days.
Yes, but he has a deep disdain for McCain and just about anything with his fingerprints on it. Almost as much as he does for things with Obama’s fingerprints. Almost.
how it is that a man with his forefathers (especially his grandfather) could not have fought and won WWII without the US Merchant Marine keeping the Navy supplied all the way up to the combat areas boggles my mind…certainly he is not such an obtuse man to know that the entire US military must have the civilian manned merchant fleet to project our power globally yet he acts as if he simply is not aware of this! How can such a hawk be so anti US maritime industry? How can he somehow think that only doing away with a part of the Jones Act will not end up being its demise?
This is like Obama Care…you cannot kill it without replacing it with something better or you will just bring down the whole thing in one massive catastrophe. A brand new Merchant Marine Act is long overdue and if one did involve allowing a certain number of foreign built ships into coastwise trade then fine with me but ONLY AS A PART IF A TOTALLY NEW BILL which will ensure that both merchant shipbuilding will survive in the USA but also US mariners.
This has always troubled me as well. A veteran Navy hawk who appears to want to essentially do away with the USMM? What are they paying this guy, or what are they hanging over his head? Must be something big, either way.
He isn’t obtuse, he is corrupted, bought and paid for, and could care less about the impact his insane drive to sink the American merchant marine will have on this country. It is long past time for that foul example of corrupted politics to crawl back under some desert rock and just fade away. It is difficult to describe his efforts as anything but traitorous.
He was born with a haze gray spoon in his mouth and never worked a day in his life outside the umbrella of the military elite and the political womb … he doesn’t have a clue about the merchant marine or mariner’s or probably any other industry or occupation other than being a political lapdog for his handlers.
Not exactly shocking, read speculation about dementia or tumor after the Comey hearing. McCain made a fool of himself. Is this really the legacy he wants to leave behind?