UNDER CURRENT LAW, THE JONES ACT, FOREIGN-OWNED SHIPS PREVENTED FROM OPERATING IN U.S. WATERS

Washington, Jun 30, 2010 -

“The catastrophic oil blowout in the Gulf of Mexico is an environmental and economic disaster that grows hourly,” said Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-Sixth).  “I am deeply concerned by the slow response and the lack of resources in containing and cleaning up the oil.  Yesterday, the U.S. State Department released a list of 27 countries that offered assistance in responding to the oil spill.  This assistance included skimmers, ships designed to remove oil from the water, and containment booms.  Yet, this Administration delayed in accepting these offers of assistance, leaving the clean-up effort without the equipment and resources needed.”

In an effort to remove a barrier to deploying foreign assistance in responding to this oil spill, Stearns is joining in sponsoring H.R. 5585, the Water Assistance from International Vessels for Emergency Response (WAIVER) Act.  This bill would provide a statutory waiver of compliance with the Jones Act to foreign-flagged vessels assisting in responding to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

Explained Stearns, “The Jones Act, dating from 1920, requires that all waterborne shipping between points within the United States be carried by vessels built in the United States, owned by U.S. citizens, and manned by U.S. citizen crews.  This Act bars foreign built and foreign operated vessels from engaging in U.S. domestic commerce, including cleaning up the oil spill.  The Jones Act can be waived for foreign vessels, but this requires an application and review by the U.S. Coast Guard, Customs and Border Protection, and the Maritime Administration, a lengthy, bureaucratic process.”

 “The President should have waived the Jones Act at the start of this crisis,” added Stearns.  “Waiving the Jones Act will help bring the equipment and resources required to address this spill by allowing foreign vessels to operate in our waters. I deeply appreciate this offer of assistance from other nations and we should welcome these assets.  This bill would eliminate the need for the bureaucratic process, allowing clean-up vessels to move immediately into operation.”