Congressional staff members gathered at Grassroot's offices in late May as part of their weeklong visit to focus on the impact of the Jones Act on Hawaii. Photo by Sean Mitsui.

Grassroot, Progressive Policy Institute host gathering focused on Jones Act

from Grassroot Institute

The Grassroot Institute of Hawaii joined with the Washington, D.C.-based Progressive Policy Institute last month to host a weeklong event in Honolulu that brought together senior congressional staff members to learn about the Jones Act.

The purpose of the event was to deepen understanding of Hawaii’s unique economic and strategic challenges, with a special focus on federal policies that disproportionately affect the state.

Through a series of site visits, expert briefings and discussions with local stakeholders, the guests explored the real-world impacts of the Jones Act, which Grassroot has long contended plays a significant role in the slow decline of America's maritime industry and especially exacerbates Hawaii's high cost of living.

The delegation also examined broader issues affecting Hawaii, including trade policy, energy infrastructure and national security concerns.

By fostering bipartisan dialogue and firsthand learning, the program aimed to better inform future policymaking in Washington, especially on matters critical to Hawaii.

To read a good article about the Jones Act published by PPI, click on the photo above or go here.

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Truth about Jones Act makes big leap forward

In what is believed to be a first, The New York Times on May 27 reported that ships built in the U.S. typically cost up to five times more than ships built in Asia. This long-known fact is essential to arguments against the Jones Act, which requires that ships carrying goods between U.S. ports be U.S. built, thus adding to their capital costs and increasing prices for consumers. Headlined "U.S. Ships Championed by Trump Cost 5 Times as Much as Asian Ones," the article by reporter Peter Eavis even quotes Grassroot Scholar and Cato Institute trade policy analyst Colin Grabow, recognized as one of the nation's leading Jones Act critics. Eavis also reached out to Grabow for his April 18 dispatch, co-written with Ana Swanson, headlined "U.S. Adds Fees for Chinese Ships in Effort to Boost Shipbuilding."