The Fourth Arm · Episode 8 of 11 · 15 min
Section 27: The Jones Act and the Fight Over It
Cargo moving between U.S. ports must travel on ships that are American-built, -flagged, -owned and -crewed, under Section 27 of the 1920 Merchant Marine Act, known as the Jones Act. The episode argues it both ways: a national-defense guarantee for shipyards and citizen crews, or a costly protection that hit Puerto Rico, Hawaii and Alaska hardest and failed to save the fleet it was meant to preserve.
Who's who
- Wesley L. JonesWashington senator, Commerce Committee chairman and the law's sponsor
- Woodrow Wilson+9 more episodesPresident who signed the Merchant Marine Act on June 5, 1920
- Jennifer CarpenterPresident of the American Maritime Partnership, which defends the Act
Where it happens
- Puerto Rico+2 more episodesAmong the places hit hardest by the Act's costs, per critics
- HawaiiAmong the places hit hardest by the Act's costs, per critics
- Alaska+11 more episodesAmong the places hit hardest by the Act's costs, per critics
Timeline
- 1914-1918World War I shows the U.S. cannot move its trade when belligerents withdraw fleets
- June 1920Congress passes and Wilson signs the Merchant Marine Act with Section 27
- 2000The Jones Act oceangoing fleet numbers roughly 181 ships
- 2019That fleet has fallen to about 93 ships
- 2026A Jones Act waiver during an Iran war draws fresh scrutiny
Still debated
Estimates of the Act's cost range widely, from about $200 million a year to far higher academic figures. Critics blame the Act for the fleet's decline while defenders point to global competition, and whether repeal would help or hollow out national security is unresolved.
← PreviousCalled Civilians: The 43-Year Fight for Veteran StatusNext →The Mothball Fleet: How America's Merchant Fleet Collapsed
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