Grant the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico an exemption from the Jones Act

The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico currently faces a grim economic outlook due to bad budget planning, an excessive dependence on bond financing, and an exodus of the population, just to name a few factors. A recent report by ex-IMF director Anne Krueger echoes previous calls to exempt Puerto Rico, in a similar way to the exemption the U.S. Virgin Islands have been granted, from the Jones Act, which only further augments the prices on products brought over from the contiguous states. We petition the Obama administration to seriously consider pressuring Congress to take action and help the American citizens of Puerto Rico to get back on track towards economic development.