The Jones Act does not apply to, and does not constrain, skimming outside of three miles from shore, including near the well 50 miles from the U.S. coastline. That is where the vast majority of skimming has occurred.
The Jones Act maritime industry annually generates 500,000 jobs, contributes $100 billion in total economic output, adds $46 billion to the value of U.S. economic output, provides $29 billion in wages and contributes $11 billion in taxes. Efforts to repeal or broadly waive the Jones Act would would not improve spill response, but would have a devastating impact on American jobs and American workers.
Broadly waiving the Jones Act for the oil spill is an unnecessary distraction that would do nothing to advance the clean-up effort. Foreign oil skimmers are needed and already being utilized under a separate law and waiver process. A broad waiver for foreign vessels would only take work away from those most impacted by the disaster, American workers in the Gulf.
Opinion piece in the Houston Chronicle