Press releases

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) met with President Donald Trump at the White House today to detail how devastating the granting of a 10-year waiver to the Jones Act would be for Louisiana.  A long-term waiver would threaten thousands of maritime jobs in Louisiana.

The Jones Act prohibits the shipment of goods between U.S. ports unless the ships are American made, owned and crewed.  Sen. Kennedy sent a joint letter asking President Trump to deny a 10-year waiver for natural gas shipments to Puerto Rico and possibly the Northeast U.S.  The Jones Act supports 71,000 jobs in Louisiana.

“After talking to President Trump, I am confident that he realizes how important the Jones Act is to Louisiana’s maritime industry and that no changes will be made.  I made the case that the livelihood of Louisiana families is at stake.  Louisiana is the greatest beneficiary of the Jones Act with thousands of jobs that depend on it.  Our maritime industry is part of the lifeblood of Louisiana and the Gulf Coast economy,” said Sen. Kennedy.  “It would be foolish to push aside those jobs in favor of foreign made and foreign crewed ships.”

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