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Trump signed off on a temporary waiver of the Jones Act, which
limits shipping between U.S. coasts to U.S. flagged vessels and
can drive up the cost of goods, on Sept. 28.
Velazquez, a Democrat from New York and a native of Puerto Rico,
asked Trump in a letter for an extension of at least a year.
“If the Jones Act is reinstated, building supplies will cost
significantly more in Puerto Rico, compared to costs on the
mainland," Velazquez said in a statement. "With the long road to
recovery just beginning, I am asking that the Jones Act waiver
for Puerto Rico be extended.”
Other lawmakers, including Republican Senator John McCain, have
called for the Jones Act to be put on hold given the severe
damage caused to the island by Hurricane Maria.
On Thursday, the Department of Homeland Security said extending
the Jones Act waiver was not needed to support relief efforts
for the U.S. territory.
Trump has not said that he planned to sign off on another
extension.
(Reporting by Laila Kearney; Editing by Tom Brown)
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