Hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico is asking the White House for any help it can get. Meet the Merchant Marine Act of 1920 — more popularly known as the Jones Act — which was championed at the time with nationalist rhetoric that was remarkably similar to President Trump’s. The Jones Act doesn’t apply to cargo shipped between the mainland states and the U.S. Virgin Islands, but it does affect Puerto Rico, whose 3.4 million residents get a large portion of their goods via container ships from the mainland. When asked by reporters whether his administration would suspend the Jones Act for Puerto Rico, Trump said, "Well, we're thinking about that," but gave a similar explanation as the Department of Homeland Security. Hurricane Maria left a historic trail of destruction across Puerto Rico.

Source: Los Angeles Times September 27, 2017 23:15 UTC