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Glenn: Lift the Jones Act to help Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria

Glenn: Lift the Jones Act to help Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria

What’s happening?

Puerto Rico was devastated last week by Hurricane Maria, which made landfall on the island with 155-mph winds.

How bad is the damage?

An estimated 80 percent of crop value was destroyed, more than half of Puerto Rico was left without water and nearly the whole island lost power.

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fl.) visited San Juan this week and on Tuesday urged for more efforts, including ways to deliver necessities and house restoration crews, warning that “this has the potential of being a serious humanitarian crisis” because some people will die unless they are reached soon.

What is the Trump administration doing to help?

President Donald Trump declared Puerto Rico a disaster zone last week, and FEMA has been providing relief efforts along with the Defense Department. The U.S. military is assisting as well, and plans to deploy the USNS Comfort hospital ship are under way, CNN reported.

Glenn’s take:

It’s time to lift the Jones Act, a protectionist shipping law from 1920 that says that only American-made ships and American citizens can ship goods between American ports.

“That is ridiculous to have that in place, especially at this point,” Glenn said. “They need to lift it so boats and planes from all over the world and the United States can assist in the relief effort.”

The Trump administration temporarily waived the Jones Act from Sept. 8 to Sept. 22 so Texas and Florida could get fuel shipments after being hit by Hurricanes Harvey and Irma.

To see more from Glenn, visit his channel on TheBlaze and listen live to “The Glenn Beck Radio Program” with Glenn Beck and Stu Burguiere weekdays 9 a.m.–noon ET on TheBlaze Radio Network.

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