Do We Still Need the Jones Act? Why Repeal Would Hurt Texas Maritime Workers

The Houston Chronicle recently ran an opinion piece calling for the repeal of the Jones Act, claiming it drives up energy costs. But for Texas maritime workers and their families, repeal would be devastating. The truth is simple: the Jones Act isn’t a burden—it’s a safeguard for workers, national security, and Texas jobs.

What Is the Jones Act?

The Jones Act, passed in 1920, regulates shipping between U.S. ports and protects American maritime workers. It requires that goods transported between American ports be carried on ships that are U.S.-built, U.S.-owned, and U.S.-crewed. Just as importantly, it ensures that injured offshore workers have the legal right to hold their employers accountable and recover wages, medical costs, and damages when companies cut corners.

Why Repeal Would Be Dangerous

• Maritime worker rights at risk: More than 650,000 U.S. jobs depend on the Jones Act, including tens of thousands in Texas. Without it, injured seamen could lose vital legal protections. We’ve seen firsthand how these rights save families from financial ruin after catastrophic offshore injuries.
  
  
• National security: A strong U.S. fleet is critical. During disasters like Hurricane Harvey (2017), Jones Act vessels kept supplies moving when foreign ships couldn’t get the job done. Weakening the Act would hand U.S. shipping over to foreign fleets, leaving us vulnerable during hurricanes, wars, or supply chain crises. The U.S. Navy has testified repeatedly that the Jones Act is essential to maintaining a merchant marine workforce ready to support national defense.
  
  
• Texas jobs: The Gulf Coast is home to a powerful maritime economy. According to the American Maritime Partnership, the Jones Act sustains over 84,000 Texas jobs and generates $14 billion in annual economic impact for the state. Repeal would outsource those good-paying jobs overseas and devastate communities from Houston to Corpus Christi.
  
  

Who Really Benefits From Repeal?

Repeal would not lower gas prices for Texas families. Oil companies set prices on global markets, not based on shipping costs. Even the Congressional Research Service has found that the impact of the Jones Act on energy prices is minimal. Any savings from repeal would flow directly into corporate profits, not into consumers’ pockets.

Why VB Attorneys Fights to Keep It Strong

At VB Attorneys, our Jones Act lawyers represent injured maritime workers across Texas. We’ve stood beside workers who would have been left with nothing if not for this law. The Jones Act isn’t the problem - it’s the protection. It is the legal backbone that keeps corporations accountable, ensures a strong U.S. fleet, and sustains thousands of Texas families.

Repeal would leave workers exposed, communities weakened, and our nation less secure. Keeping the Jones Act strong keeps Texas strong.