Repeal or Reform the Jones Act

The COVID-19 pandemic has triggered the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. Tens of millions have lost their jobs. Unleashing the innovation and productivity of American workers has become more urgent than ever. Americans cannot afford government programs that set everyone back for the benefit of well-connected special interests. One such program—the Jones Act—is particularly hard to justify. Its purpose is protectionist, but it is so poorly designed that it favors foreign sellers over American ones.