Ditching a century-old law governing U.S. shipping called the “Jones Act,” could feed 10 million people at no additional cost to the U.S, wrote David Ray, CARE’s vice president of policy and advocacy, in an op-ed published in The Hill. Ray wrote waiving the law would get much-needed aid to people suffering in the wake of hurricanes in Puerto Rico faster. “The impact of cargo preferences like these go far beyond Puerto Rico and the ravage of this year’s hurricanes,” he wrote. “People all across the world suffering from famine, violence, droughts, floods and various other disasters are affected as well. Under current law, at least 50 percent of all food aid provided by the U.S. government must be shipped on U.S. flag ships. When this quota was adopted decades ago, there were arguably good reasons for such a rule. But in practice, its impact can be devastating and risks lives.” Read the op-ed here.
