Is the Jones Act Waiver All Politics?

As recovery efforts in the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico continue, the Trump administration has reversed course, deciding to temporarily waive a century-old law that requires cargo between U.S. ports be carried by American-flagged and-crewed ships.

Earlier this week, the Department of Homeland Security said it didn’t expect to waive the Jones Act, but White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said Trump granted it immediately after Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rosselló requested the move. The decision comes as Trump, who was criticized for being insufficiently attentive to the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, has begun to focus intensely on the island. But it’s unclear whether the waiver can have much immediate affect in easing the humanitarian crisis in Puerto Rico, or whether it’s largely a symbolic move that telegraphs that