Obama has refused to waive the Jones Act. His Administration keeps putting the blame on the Coast Guard who puts the blame on others for not requesting the Jones Act be waived. Yet a simple Executive Order signed by Obama could waive the Jones Act in about 3 minutes, less time than it takes Obama to set up a tee on the golf course. The Gulf is in dire need of all the help it can get. When foreign entities with better expertise and equipment in oil spills offer to help, why is Obama refusing? While Obama dithers in his bad leadership of the Oil Spill, the Gulf Coast dies more and more each day.
The Jones Act was established in 1920 as the Merchant Marine Act:
“Section 27, also known as the Jones Act, deals with cabotage (i.e., coastal shipping) and requires that all goods transported by water between U.S. ports be carried in U.S.-flag ships, constructed in the United States, owned by U.S. citizens, and crewed by U.S. citizens and U.S. permanent residents. The purpose of the law is to support the U.S. merchant marine industry, but agricultural interests generally oppose it because, they contend, it raises the cost of shipping their goods, making them less competitive with foreign sources. [1]
In addition, amendments to the Jones Act, known as the Cargo Preference Act (P.L. 83-644), provide permanent legislation for the transportation of waterborne cargoes in U.S.-flag vessels.”
This means that foreign owned, built and manned vessels cannot help in the oil spill cleanup unless Obama waives the Jones Act. During Katrina President Bush waived the Jones Act because of the desperate situation, why isn’t Obama doing the same now? The Jones Act is heavily backed by labor unions. could that be Obama’s reasoning? Maybe Obama doesn’t want to make his Union buddies upset? There’s no other reason that one could possibly think of as to why Obama has not waived the Jones Act. There is absolutely no excuse for Obama, our ‘global leader’, not bring in help from around the world.
The Dutch offered their help 3 DAYS after the Gulf Oil Spill yet the Administration said:
"..While there is no need right now that the U.S. cannot meet, the U.S. Coast Guard is assessing these offers of assistance to see if there will be something which we will need in the near future."
Are they serious? This country helps every country in the world when they need it. We are always at the front line for offering aid. The one time we need expertise and equipment that we do not have in this country, Obama rejects it? Why would the President of the United States allow the Gulf to continue to be destroyed rather than getting the help here that EXISTS and is desperately necessary? By Obama refusing to waive the Jones Act, he is aiding in the destruction of the Gulf Coast.
The Federal Government is completely in charge of the oil spill cleanup as stated by EPA head Carol Browner in the video below. The Obama Administration is directing BP and others exactly what to do, how to do it and when to do it. They are not doing everything possible, they are not doing a good job, they are ignoring the aid of others with expertise. Since the Federal Government is completely in charge of the oil spill, there is absolutely no excuse for Obama not to waive the Jones Act and help save the Gulf.
Photo by Sustainabilityninja
Comments
Lot's o spillionaire bucks to be made and the diversion of 24/7 spill rants is made to order.
3 Rigs in the gulf are reporting leaks and sea floor fissures. Despite the BP bombasts from GE-MSNBC-NBC, the first oil to hit Louisiana was came from the Saratoga Rig. Seismic Activity along the Mid Atlantic Ridge beginning at Iceland (volcanic) through Haiti (earthquake) where it then doglegs west through the southern gulf and splits north to the Baja Plate and south through Peru (earthquake) and Chile (earthquake) has been heavy. The oil code named by seismologists as "Elephant", is really an underground "sea" of oil that stretches beneath Louisiana, Mississippi and Florida. It's big. REALLY BIG. Flames have been seen in the Horizon seabed gusher.
The delays and 24/7 hysterics will create a crony mob of spillionaires offering the US government cover for events in the middle east - like the flotilla piracy and a report today that the Saudi's will allow an Israeli flyover to bomb Iran.
Well said Kimberly. There's much more to the story as well.
This issue is really starting to come to light, and when more people realize what is and has been going on - it will be very bad for Obama.
HARAHAN, La., June 11 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Recent news stories have been erroneously reporting that foreign skimming vessels are not able to work on the BP oil spill cleanup because of the Jones Act. These reports are incorrect. The Jones Act does not apply and therefore does not prevent foreign vessels from working on oil skimming operations in waters beyond the state's three-mile limit. In fact, a number of foreign vessels have been working at the scene for some time.
For skimming activities within any state's three-mile limit, longstanding and established law says that any such work, including the skimming activity, must be performed by a U.S. vessel, if one is available. If a U.S. vessel is not available, there is a waiver process that can be used to bring in foreign vessels. We are not yet aware of any waiver request being made because a U.S. vessel is not available. The important distinction is that under the Jones Act, foreign vessels may be used only if U.S. ves
My questions are what is being done with the oil that is being collected by the skimmers that are currently in use?
Is it being brought ashore and refined or into storage and where?
If there is a profit to be made it will be.
Come on folks, wake up! FOX Noise is pulling your leg again, to scare you silly. (Surprise, surprise) The Jones Act has nothing to do with foreign help for disasters. It only regulates commerce between U.S. ports, so there's no waiver necessary. (Bush waived it after Katrina only to move oil from one American port to another.) For the real scoop, google this phrase and go to Media Matters:
"Fox & Friends misleads on international aid to Gulf spill"
Please don't let right-wing fearmongers keep putting one over on you.
Violet - Media Matters? Seriously? The Left arm of Obama & the DNC and you expect anyone to believe their lies? Now that's funny stuff right there.
You may want to have Media Matters ask Obama, Browner and Thad Allen why when asked about the Jones Act they all stated - well no one has asked us to waive it yet and push the blame all around.
How many foreign ships work IN our waters? You may want to actually read the Jones Act and read the history of it before listening to a corrupt organization like Media Matters.
Repeal of the Jones Act should not be needed to allow forgien vesseils to participate in cleanup.
Fox is at it again. Ant-labor groups have always opposed the Jones Act as it protects American jobs and is the vehcile by which American seaman are protected when injured on the job.
Offshore workers do not have Workman's Compensation protection like the rest of us and the Jones Act provides for this.
Fox is always the same. They are using this as a wedge issue an trying to alarm the public. Simple as that.
See it for what it is.
Jeff who is talking about repealing it? It should be waived only so the foreign ships can come in with their foreign manned vessels and work on the cleanup. They aren't going to hurt the U.S. vessels or the Jones Act they are only helping this country and the Gulf. The U.S. vessels will be working alongside them.
The problem in this country is too many people only care about making things political - like Obama - rather than what is really necessary.
Obam = MASSIVE EPIC FAIL
Obama's henchmen say that they've put the best minds on it. How's about usin' some elbow grease too. The best minds can think up great plans, but it falls to the wrench turners to make the ideas come to fruition. Obama's always thinking about things. I do too. How about DOING something about it? Quit taking so much time to meet and decide and just do it! That's the hallmark of this administration, thinking about it. Let's put our shoulders to the wheel and perform the task at hand.
The JONES ACT IS A FALSE FLAG DISCUSSION! THE WHOLE DISCUSSION OF THE JONES ACT IS A DISTRACTION FROM THE TRUTH!
The United States has oil spill response agreements with Mexico, Canada, Russia, Panama, and the British Virgin Islands. The United States also belongs to the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL), the International Convention on Oil Pollution Preparedness, Response and Cooperation, and a Caribbean region oil spill cooperation agreement under the Cartagena Convention.
Of course President Cockroach is using the Jones Act to maximize destruction and aid his union thug buddies.
Why did Obama sit on Louisiana’s urgent request for sand berms for several weeks? Why, Obama’s little cockroaches had to “study” the request, of course.
Cloward-Piven: Orchestrated crisis & chaos in order to hasten the destruction of capitalism and install Marxism.
Cockroach is determined to destroy this nation.
The untrue and adversaral remarks concerning the Administration efforts to clean up this mess is nothing more than idiotic blatherings by disciples of Fox and Limbaugh. We in the Gulf are suffering from the sins of 8 years of relaxed or no regulations and cronyism between government and big business. This administration and our country need your support, not obstrutionism.
Wow.. I usually don't comment on these things but I had to..
rlh are you truly that 'out there'? Regulators could have caught this except they didn't. OBAMA REGULATORS not Bush regulators. Obama gave these guys a Safety Award - not Bush. Obama regulators approved BP's lame safety plan NOT BUSH's
You need to wake the h*ll up and smell reality that the only person obstructing the clean up IS OBAMA. Stop listening to medial matters and msnbc - they will do everything possible to protect Obama. THEY could care less about you and the Gulf just like Obama.
GET. A. CLUE.
As I read the Jones act I understand it as having regulator constraint in place on vessels transporting and occupying the waters in and outside the United States. Such regulation not only covers injury to merchant marines but it allows the Secretary Office the right to inspect tankers and liners of their cargo and goods this include hazardous prevention. The problem of having a Jones Act is that it's a Law and since the Oil Spill most Americans react as they do in many catastrophes and that is Lets break the Law if it doesn't meet immediate needs
Not just the Dutch government. Turns out the Japanese offered miles of boom and this hasn't been accepted. The Norwegians also offered ships, and the Brits had also offered Obama help.
Instead he has done nothing.
This sucks
Uh, Elisabeth, Chris Oynes, the MMS regulator who presented Transocean with the award, was appointed by Bush.
WHAT PRESIDENT??? WE DO NOT HAVE A PRESIDENT OF OUR UNITED STATES!!!!OUR SO CALLED PRESIDENT DOES NOT REPRESENT "US"!!!!!!
"This means that foreign owned, built and manned vessels cannot help in the oil spill cleanup unless Obama waives the Jones Act."
This describes the oil rig itself. Was the Jones Act waived by the president when it was built in US waters?
This whole story makes no sense
Obama deserves to be thrown into the gulf and made to tread water in an oil slick until he breaks down and issues and executive order to waive the Jones Act. Americans give help to every disaster around the world. We borrow money from China to do this, because we have no money - but butt head Obama, because he thinks the unions are more important than the hard working people of the Gulf and the huge marine resource that the marshes and backwater areas represent to the future of the seafood industry sits on his butt eating Kobe Beef ($180 a lb) and fiddles while the gulf burns. Has their ever been a more incompetent President anywhere?
Obama is still blaming the excuse that 'no one has asked for the Jones Act to be waived' does he really think people are that stupid? Other than, of course, those who voted for him.
DRM the oil rigs are miles off shore and NOT floating - big difference. They can't just up and leave between ports. It's the moving vessels near shore that are in question with regards to the Jones Act.
This Jones Act talk really needs to be clarified by someone in authority. Let some state official in LA, FLA etc request the waver of the Jones Act . Who are the companies that wanted to come here? Leaving this matter hanging out there in a middle of a crisis is unconscionable. There really needs to be a thorough investigation of the government response to this disaster.All the GOP should get on it . I just want to have the truth out there.
I just read the Merchant Marine Act of 1920, also called the "Jones Act" (look up full text of the law online). As far as I can tell, it only has to do with foreign ships moving passengers and cargo from one US port to another US port. What does that have to do with cleaning up oil? The reason it was waived post-Katrina was to allow foreign ships to bring oil/gas from one US port to areas in the Gulf in dire need of fuel. Foreign vessels are already assisting in the cleanup. Seems to me the Jones Act doesn't apply and doesn't need to be waived. Might be worth doing a little research on some of these “claims”. This whole "Jones Act" canard started w/ill-informed professional critics of Obama and just keeps being repeated. Do some research, folks.
I just read the Merchant Marine Act of 1920, also called the "Jones Act" (look up full text of the law online). As far as I can tell, it only has to do with foreign ships moving passengers and cargo from one US port to another US port. What does that have to do with cleaning up oil? The reason it was waived post-Katrina was to allow foreign ships to bring oil/gas from one US port to areas in the Gulf in dire need of fuel. Foreign vessels are already assisting in the cleanup. Seems to me the Jones Act doesn't apply and doesn't need to be waived. Might be worth doing a little research on some of these “claims”. This whole "Jones Act" canard started w/ill-informed professional critics of Obama and just keeps being repeated. Do some research, folks.
I teach maritime law. I know what I am talking about. There is no need to waive the Jones Act for foreign-flagged oil spill response vessels. They can operate if the Federal On Scene Coordinator agrees that they need to be deployed. The need to waive the Jones Act in cases such as this was removed by Congress in 2006. Read 46 USC 55113. Ignorant, wrong article.
forget the Jones Act. Forget the sarcasms. Why is there no foreign aid there? If we don't need to waive the Jones act and others have offered, then why?
We should see this administration for what it is. USELESS! Just think of what the rest of the world is thinking of the U.S. We have become stagnant and bound up with more red tape than anyone can imagine. I'd like to know how that new oil spill czar is getting paid. Would you like to bet it is per claim.
We should see this administration for what it is. USELESS! Just think of what the rest of the world is thinking of the U.S. We have become stagnant and bound up with more red tape than anyone can imagine. I'd like to know how that new oil spill czar is getting paid. Would you like to bet it is per claim.
This will finish off our economy in the coastal south. Is there a better way to gain control of a group than bringing them to their knees financially? He knows exactly what he is doing. Dirtbag.
This article is a steaming pile of BS and is an echo of yet another trope being served up by the Obama-Hating Machinery of the Right. Check Your Facts (go to factcheck.org and search for oil-spill-foreign-help-and-jones-act), Ms Moron...er...Morin.
Why do you write lies? This whole article is a lie. Foreign ships ARE working down in the gulf to clean up the spill, and none of them have even applied for a waiver because they don't need one. Anything more than 12 miles off-shore is International Waters. Seriously, why are these people writing lies?
By the way, anyone who knows anything about the Jones Act knows that the only thing it says is that foreign ships can't pick stuff up in one US Port and then deliver it to another US Port. Foreign ships come here all the time. How do you people think we get all this stuff from China?
Katrina caused New Orleans' levees to breach on Aug. 29, 2005. Bush waived the Jones Act on Sept. 1, 2005 to allow transportation of oil to other ports and not for rescue or clean up (1). As of June 15, 2010, Admiral Allan announced that 15 foreign ships were working on the spill (2). The Jones act is only used for governing commerce and not for governing crisis response. It did not affect the response to this crisis(3).
Some help was refused because it was deemed that either the chemicals or processes used were either potentially dangerous to the environment or were not deemed effective. You can question the technical reasons why help was refused but make sure you understand issues before listening to talking points.
1. www.dhs.gov/xnews/releases/press_release_0730.shtm npga.org/files/public/Jones_Act_Waver_9-05.pdf
2. www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com/go/doc/2931/660195/
3. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merchant_Marine_Act_of_1920
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