Thursday, March 28, 2024
Hawai'i Free Press

Current Articles | Archives

Monday, September 30, 2019
VIDEO: Ed Case and Keli'i Akina discuss Jones Act reform 
By Grassroot Institute @ 5:46 PM :: 4650 Views :: Jones Act

Hawaii Together, September 30, 2019

As we approach the 100th anniversary of the United States shipping laws known as the Jones Act there is much controversy over their impact on Hawaii. Ed Case is one US congressman who believes Hawai'i residents would benefit significantly from changes in the Jones Act. In this program, Rep. Case and Keli'i Akina discuss possible bipartisan solutions for moving forward with the Jones Act.

  *   *   *   *   *

Case to Akina: Federal shipping law hurts Hawaii 

The U.S. congressman says the Jones Act extorts money from Hawaii residents

HONOLULU, Oct. 1, 2019 >> Congressman Ed Case said Monday that Hawaii is “more expensive than other areas, but it doesn’t mean that we have to extort money from the folks that live here because of an excuse like the Jones Act.”

The Jones Act, also known as the Merchant Marine Act of 1920, is a federal law that requires all goods shipped between U.S. ports to be transported on ships that are built, owned and operated by U.S. citizens.

Case spoke about the federal maritime law on Keli’i Akina’s “Hawaii Together” show on ThinkTech Hawaii. The discussion focused on many aspects of the Jones Act issue, including its costs to Hawaii and its impact on the U.S. military.

“Our military operates military sealift ships which it has at its disposal, and those are built overseas. So our military gets it that the cost of building ships for our military is probably one quarter of what it costs to build it here,” Case said.

Akina, who also is president of the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii, asked Case what he thought of the argument that “if we change [the Jones Act], we will end up with massive losses of union jobs.” 

“Well, I don’t agree with that,” Case responded. “The hundreds of thousands of folks that are working in Hawaii, and their families, including the 20% that are unionized in Hawaii, all pay for Jones Act shipping.”

He said the number of workers protected by the Jones Act is actually “a very, very small number of Jones Act workers. It’s probably 3,000 Jones Act seamen across the entire country [who] are really, from my perspective, harming them [the people living in Hawaii]. Not them themselves, but the Jones Act, and the implications of the Jones Act in Hawaii, are harming hundreds of thousands of workers, unionized or not. They’re the ones that are suffering as well. Their jobs are at risk because prices are too high.”

Reflecting on the prospects in Congress for Jones Act reform, Case said, “The Jones Act lobby in Washington, which is a very powerful one, basically views any exemptions to the Jones Act as a slippery slope. So they’re not willing to simply say, ‘Yeah we understand Hawaii’s problem; we’ll go with you on that one.’ 

“Some of my most powerful political opponents throughout my career have come from this particular issue. These are folks that don’t like me talking like I’m talking on your show. They don’t want the public to think about the consequences of the Jones Act or the high prices. Their remedy is to keep people like me out of office, and when I get in office, they keep me from continuing in office.” 

U.S. Rep. Ed Case is in Honolulu for a series of “talk story” sessions. His first one is tomorrow, Wednesday, Oct. 2, at Washington Middle School, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. He’ll wrap up his “talk story” appearances with an online forum on Monday, 6:30 to 8 p.m. He can be reached at (808) 650-6688 or edcase@edcase.com.

After hosting Case on his “Hawaii Together” program, Akina said, “As we near the 100th anniversary of the Jones Act, it’s important to have open and honest discussions about how the law impacts Hawaii, and what can be done about it’” 

Links

TEXT "follow HawaiiFreePress" to 40404

Register to Vote

2aHawaii

808 Silent Majority

Aloha Pregnancy Care Center

AntiPlanner

Antonio Gramsci Reading List

A Place for Women in Waipio

Ballotpedia Hawaii

Broken Trust

Build More Hawaiian Homes Working Group

Christian Homeschoolers of Hawaii

Cliff Slater's Second Opinion

DVids Hawaii

FIRE

Fix Oahu!

Frontline: The Fixers

Genetic Literacy Project

Grassroot Institute

Habele.org

Hawaii Aquarium Fish Report

Hawaii Aviation Preservation Society

Hawaii Catholic TV

Hawaii Christian Coalition

Hawaii Cigar Association

Hawaii ConCon Info

Hawaii Debt Clock

Hawaii Defense Foundation

Hawaii Family Forum

Hawaii Farmers and Ranchers United

Hawaii Farmer's Daughter

Hawaii Federalist Society

Hawaii Federation of Republican Women

Hawaii History Blog

Hawaii Homeschool Association

Hawaii Jihadi Trial

Hawaii Legal News

Hawaii Legal Short-Term Rental Alliance

Hawaii Matters

Hawaii's Partnership for Appropriate & Compassionate Care

Hawaii Public Charter School Network

Hawaii Rifle Association

Hawaii Shippers Council

Hawaii Smokers Alliance

Hawaii State Data Lab

Hawaii Together

HIEC.Coop

HiFiCo

Hiram Fong Papers

Homeschool Legal Defense Hawaii

Honolulu Moms for Liberty

Honolulu Navy League

Honolulu Traffic

House Minority Blog

Imua TMT

Inouye-Kwock, NYT 1992

Inside the Nature Conservancy

Inverse Condemnation

Investigative Project on Terrorism

July 4 in Hawaii

Kakaako Cares

Keep Hawaii's Heroes

Land and Power in Hawaii

Legislative Committee Analysis Tool

Lessons in Firearm Education

Lingle Years

Managed Care Matters -- Hawaii

Malama Pregnancy Center of Maui

MentalIllnessPolicy.org

Military Home Educators' Network Oahu

Missile Defense Advocacy

MIS Veterans Hawaii

NAMI Hawaii

Natatorium.org

National Christian Foundation Hawaii

National Parents Org Hawaii

NFIB Hawaii News

No GMO Means No Aloha

Not Dead Yet, Hawaii

NRA-ILA Hawaii

Oahu Alternative Transport

Obookiah

OHA Lies

Opt Out Today

OurFutureHawaii.com

Patients Rights Council Hawaii

PEACE Hawaii

People vs Machine

Practical Policy Institute of Hawaii

Pritchett Cartoons

Pro-GMO Hawaii

P.U.E.O.

RailRipoff.com

Rental by Owner Awareness Assn

ReRoute the Rail

Research Institute for Hawaii USA

Rick Hamada Show

RJ Rummel

Robotics Organizing Committee

School Choice in Hawaii

SenatorFong.com

Sink the Jones Act

Statehood for Guam

Talking Tax

Tax Foundation of Hawaii

The Real Hanabusa

Time Out Honolulu

Trustee Akina KWO Columns

UCC Truths

US Tax Foundation Hawaii Info

VAREP Honolulu

Waagey.org

West Maui Taxpayers Association

What Natalie Thinks

Whole Life Hawaii

Yes2TMT