Jones Act

The Jones Act, officially titled the Merchant Marine Act of 1920, but named after Senator W. Jones who sponsored it. There are two parts of the Jones Act one involves benefits for sailors injured at sea and the other on ships using the waters of the US that is the concern of all states involved with the Gulf oil spill. Basically, the act promoted American built, owned and staffed ships by restricting shipping and passenger trade within the United States to American owned or American flagged ships and stipulated that 75% of a ship's crew consist of American citizens. During hurricane Katrina this section of the act was suspended by the Bush administration and with request from foreign governments to help in this spill that have the ships and expertise to address oil spills, the Obama administration is hesitant in suspending this act since it appears that labor unions have objected to this. Since the Obama administration owes it life to union campaign workers and donations, well you figure it out. Remember, those of you that voted for Obama, voted for a community and union organizer and not a person who had tons of administrative experience. So he owes his body and soul to the unions not the citizens of the United States.