A vote on the amendment is expected this afternoon before the House Rules Committee.
Palmer claimed “Relief from the Jones Act would allow the cost of living in Puerto Rico to decline, allowing residents to stretch their wages further than before. If Congress wants to help Puerto Rico we must provide them with opportunities to better their economy and lower their cost of living, not bail them out without any forward thinking solutions.”
The American Maritime Partnership (AMP), an association that represents Jones Act carriers, said Palmer’s proposal would undermine a law that is “critical to U.S. national, homeland and economic security, and ensures reliable shipment of vital goods between Puerto Rico and the U.S. mainland.”
“The Jones Act is not a cause for the island’s financial woes. While other industries have fled the island, the domestic maritime industry has made significant capital investments to service the economy and support thousands of family-wage jobs for Puerto Ricans,” AMP Chairman Tom Allegretti said in a statement. “Weakening the Jones Act would harm, not help, the Puerto Rican people and the Commonwealth’s economy. In fact, a vote against the Jones Act is a vote to outsource American jobs, undermine national security, and degrade homeland security.”
AMP also said “Sponsorship of the amendment by Rep. Palmer is surprising given that Jones Act shipping and shipbuilding is a major industry in Alabama, a ‘top ten’ shipyard state, with 12,800 jobs, according to a study by the U.S. Maritime Administration. Shipbuilding provides $953 million in economic impact in Alabama each year with shipyard jobs paying well above national average wages.”
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The Signal at Chattanooga Choo Choo • Chattanooga, TN Register NowThe night before F3. FreightTech100 companies honored. FreightTech 25 and Shipper of Choice winners revealed live. Cocktail reception into dinner and live music - 300 industry leaders in one purpose-built room.
The Signal at Chattanooga Choo Choo • Chattanooga, TN Register NowIndustry-defining keynotes, rapid-fire technology demos, and industry leaders networking in experiences across Chattanooga - plus the inaugural F3 Awards Dinner featuring the FreightTech and Shipper of Choice reveals.
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