House Republican leaders urge Trump to let Jones Act waivers expire as scheduled in August

July 1 (Reuters) – House Speaker Mike Johnson and several Republican leaders are asking President Donald Trump ​to allow waivers to a law on shipping between domestic ports ‌to expire in mid-August as scheduled, rather than extending them further, according to a letter seen by Reuters.

The waivers to the more than century-old Jones Act were ​issued by Trump during the Iran conflict to help ease supply disruptions ​and keep fuel and other critical goods moving between U.S. ⁠ports in an attempt to moderate rising prices. Lawmakers now say ​those emergency conditions have passed and the waivers should end on schedule.

In ​their letter, Johnson and 51 other Republican lawmakers emphasize the importance of the Jones Act, which requires cargo moving between U.S. ports to be carried on American-built, owned, ​and crewed ships.

They argue that the law supports U.S. maritime jobs ​and national security, and warn that continued waivers could weaken domestic shipping by allowing foreign-flagged ‌vessels ⁠to operate in coastal trade even when U.S. ships are available.

A White House official noted that “the second waiver extension does not expire until August 16” and added that “if there are any further announcements, they will be ​made directly by ​the President or ⁠the Administration.”

A White House spokesperson defended the waivers, pointing to their impact on fuel movement and market stability.

“New ​data compiled since the initial Jones Act waiver was ​issued revealed ⁠that significantly more supply was able to reach U.S. ports faster,” Taylor Rogers, a White House spokeswoman, said in a statement to Reuters.

However, analysts have found ⁠the policy ​has had only a limited effect on ​gasoline prices, largely because the volumes moved are small relative to total U.S. demand and ​shipping costs remain elevated.