If I understand correctly, you freely admit that current law says this falls under the Jones Act—which is supported by the US military and even some of your cohort—but you believe we can carve out an exception just by changing the little-known Dredge Act. Why do you believe this?
You claim the Jones Act is just about shipping, but Wikipedia quotes the law thusly, emphasis added:
″...it is declared to be the policy of the United States to do whatever may be necessary to develop and encourage the maintenance of such a merchant marine, and, in so far as may not be inconsistent with the express provisions of this Act, the Secretary of Transportation shall, in the disposition of vessels and shipping property as hereinafter provided, in the making of rules and regulations, and in the administration of the shipping laws keep always in view this purpose and object as the primary end to be attained.”
(The source appears to be part of the Department of Transportation.)
You don’t change a law, you pass legislation that does something specific. And that legislation can carve out whatever the person writing it says it should—not just repealing the Dredge Act, but also slightly modifying the Jones Act to limit its scope. And that’s exactly what the mentioned solutions do, if you read them.
If I understand correctly, you freely admit that current law says this falls under the Jones Act—which is supported by the US military and even some of your cohort—but you believe we can carve out an exception just by changing the little-known Dredge Act. Why do you believe this?
You claim the Jones Act is just about shipping, but Wikipedia quotes the law thusly, emphasis added:
″...it is declared to be the policy of the United States to do whatever may be necessary to develop and encourage the maintenance of such a merchant marine, and, in so far as may not be inconsistent with the express provisions of this Act, the Secretary of Transportation shall, in the disposition of vessels and shipping property as hereinafter provided, in the making of rules and regulations, and in the administration of the shipping laws keep always in view this purpose and object as the primary end to be attained.”
(The source appears to be part of the Department of Transportation.)
You don’t change a law, you pass legislation that does something specific. And that legislation can carve out whatever the person writing it says it should—not just repealing the Dredge Act, but also slightly modifying the Jones Act to limit its scope. And that’s exactly what the mentioned solutions do, if you read them.