What Is the Jones Act?
You probably haven’t heard much about the Jones Act. But it’s been quietly picking your pocket for over 100 years.
The Jones Act is a federal law from 1920. It says that any cargo shipped between U.S. ports must travel on ships that are American-built, American-owned, American-flagged, and crewed by Americans. Sounds patriotic, right? The problem is, it doesn’t work the way it was supposed to.
Instead of building up a strong American shipping fleet, it has done the opposite. It has shrunk the fleet, jacked up prices, and left millions of Americans — especially in Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico — paying way more than they should for everyday goods.
The Numbers Tell the Story
Of the roughly 7,500 oil tankers operating around the world today, only 54 of them meet Jones Act requirements. Just 54. That’s it.
It gets worse. When it comes to ships that can carry liquid natural gas from one American port to another? We have exactly zero.
Not one Jones Act-compliant LNG tanker exists. The single ship currently supplying Puerto Rico with natural gas only gets to do its job because it has a special exemption — it was foreign-made and wouldn’t qualify otherwise.
Think about that. The United States ships natural gas to 30 countries around the world. But we can’t legally ship it from Texas to Florida without a foreign-built ship violating the law.
Why Conservatives Should Care
This is a textbook case of government getting in the way of the free market. The Jones Act protects a tiny group of entrenched shipping interests at the expense of every other American. That’s not capitalism. That’s cronyism.
A broad coalition of conservative and free-market groups agrees. On May 6, 2026, more than three dozen organizations led by Americans for Prosperity — including our own Citizen Outreach — sent a letter to Congress urging permanent repeal of the Jones Act.
The letter put it simply:
“It distorts competition, protects entrenched interests, and has failed to deliver on its central promise of a robust domestic maritime fleet.”
Chuck Muth, President of Citizen Outreach, was among the signers, alongside Grover Norquist of Americans for Tax Reform, Pete Sepp of the National Taxpayers Union, and leaders from groups like the Goldwater Institute and Competitive Enterprise Institute.
This is a broad, unified conservative voice.
Trump Already Acted — Now Congress Needs to Finish the Job
President Trump recognized the problem. He issued a 90-day suspension of the Jones Act to help energy resources flow freely to American ports. The coalition’s letter praised that move — but argued a temporary waiver isn’t enough.
As the letter states:
“long after the worldwide energy disruptions are gone, the Jones Act will still be making everything cost more — unless it is repealed.”
The current U.S.-Iran tensions and global energy disruptions made the waiver necessary right now. But the underlying problem existed long before this crisis and will outlast it. A 90-day pause is a band-aid. Repeal is the cure.
What Critics Say
Supporters of the Jones Act argue it protects American maritime workers and national security. The concern is that without it, foreign ships would flood our ports and American jobs would disappear. Some labor unions and shipbuilders are firmly in the “keep it” camp.
That’s a fair concern on its face. But here’s the problem with that argument: the Jones Act hasn’t actually produced a thriving American fleet. It has produced a tiny, expensive one. If protecting American workers was the goal, the result has been a failure.
What You Can Do
This fight is winnable. The White House is already on board. A massive coalition of conservative organizations has gone on record. What’s missing is pressure on Congress to act.
Call your senators and representative. Tell them the Jones Act is bad policy, bad economics, and bad for American families. Ask them to support permanent repeal. You can find your representatives at congress.gov.
The free market works when the government gets out of the way. The Jones Act is a 106-year-old reminder of what happens when it doesn’t. It’s time to end it.
The opinions expressed by contributors are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Nevada News & Views. This article was written with the assistance of AI. Please verify information and consult additional sources as needed.
