Turns out it’s real.
BREAKING: the Biden admin has announced an exploratory committee to pick members of a Blue Ribbon commission that will develop Jones Act proposals that congress may consider to direct the Department of Transportation to address the urgent gasoline supply shortage.
‘Cuz nothing says “urgent” like the admin forming a committee to form a commission to think about the Jones Act and suggest things that Congress can have the admin do.
Added: Why the secretary of Transportation simply can’t say, In this emergency, it is not “practicable” to limit fuel transport between American ports to US-flagged vessels beats me. The Jones Act does seem to allow that:
a)In General.—The Secretary of Transportation shall survey the merchant marine of the United States to determine whether replacements and additions are required to carry out the objectives and policy of section 50101 of this title. The Secretary shall study, perfect, and adopt a long-range program for replacements and additions that will result, as soon as practicable, in—
[…]
(2)ownership and operation of the fleet by citizens of the United States insofar as practicable;
The administration can do that. You don’t need a study to propose legislation to tell the administration to do that.
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It is the government after all……