The US House of Representatives Rules Committee has rejected a proposed bill amendment that would have exempted Puerto Rico from the requirements of the Jones Act.
Opposition to the amendment, led strongly by the American Maritime Partnership (AMP) said that lifting Jones Act requirements would be of little economic help to the Caribbean island, which is an unincorporated US territory. It also said that exemption would weaken US and Puerto Rican security.
In explaining its rejection, the Rules Committee stated that the amendment was not pertinent to the Bill.