1. United States
2. Maine
3. Letter

I am writing to express my strong opposition to the recent Jones Act waiver. This is a deeply concerning decision with serious consequences for American jobs, national security, and the long-term stability of our maritime industry. For over a century, since its passage in 1920, the Jones Act has protected the United States by ensuring we maintain a strong, highly trained Merchant Marine capable of supporting both our economy and our military. It remains one of the last safeguards preserving American control over our own deep water shipping. Waiving it, even temporarily, undermines that foundation and signals that American mariners and infrastructure are negotiable. The United States is not unique in maintaining these protections. Cabotage laws exist around the world because nations understand the importance of controlling their own domestic shipping and maritime workforce. Weakening ours puts us at a strategic disadvantage. As someone closely connected to the maritime community, I can tell you this decision has caused real concern among working mariners. This is not an abstract policy issue. It is being felt in real time by the men and women who keep our supply chain moving. This decision places more than 10,000 highly trained U.S. Merchant Marine officers, able-bodied seamen, and skilled sailors at risk. These are not replaceable jobs. They are professions built on years of training, certification, and sacrifice. The Jones Act helps ensure these Americans earn competitive wages, maintain job security, and receive critical protections for on-the-job injuries. Replacing them with cheaper foreign labor is a betrayal of American sailors and the families who depend on them. It also threatens the survival of the seven U.S. maritime academies, as well as the training schoolhouses that prepare able-bodied seamen, both of which are essential to sustaining our deep water shipping workforce. If American mariners are displaced, we are not just losing jobs. We are dismantling the pipeline that ensures this nation can crew its own ships in times of war, disaster, or national emergency. The national defense implications are serious. The U.S. Merchant Marine serves as a critical auxiliary to our armed forces, transporting fuel, equipment, and supplies in times of conflict. Weakening this workforce directly impacts our ability to sustain operations when it matters most. There are also real security concerns. U.S. mariners are vetted, credentialed, and held to strict standards. Replacing them with lower-cost foreign crews introduces unnecessary risk into our ports and domestic shipping routes at a time when supply chain security should be a top priority. This waiver sets a dangerous precedent. Once granted, it becomes easier to justify again, gradually weakening the Jones Act over time. That path leads to increased dependence on foreign operators for critical domestic logistics. This decision is difficult to reconcile with stated “America First” priorities. There is nothing “America First” about outsourcing American jobs, weakening our maritime capability, and relying on foreign labor to move goods within our own borders. This is not simply a policy disagreement. It is a question of whether the United States will maintain control over its own supply chain and maritime workforce, or cede that control to foreign interests. I urge you to publicly oppose this waiver, call for immediate oversight, and support legislative action that prevents the routine use of Jones Act waivers except in truly extraordinary circumstances. The Jones Act has protected this nation for over 100 years because it works. Weakening it now is a risk to our security, our economy, and American workers that we cannot afford.