The Jones Act improves security and is worth protecting

The CATO Institute recently opined in these pages about why I should stop supporting the Jones Act. While I appreciate their attempt to debate this important issue, their arguments are misleading and far from compelling. The Jones Act is a federal law requiring vessels traveling between two points in the United States to be U.S. flagged, U.S. crewed, U.S. owned, and U.S. built. Like many opponents of the Jones Act, the CATO Institute attempts to conflate this 100-year old law with the struggles of Puerto Rico’s economy. They repeat the same tired argument that the Jones Act is responsible for high prices and economic instability, going so far as to make the ridiculous implication that the Jones Act adds $5 to the cost of a pint of ice cream.  READ MORE