Charles Djou urging President Obama to waive the Jones Act VIDEO

Washington, DC —Congressman Charles Djou (HI-01) released the following statement today urging President Obama to waive the Jones Act so that foreign ships will be able to assist in cleaning up the oil spill:

“I agree with the President that our nation’s top priority in addressing the Gulf accident is to stop the leak, clean up the mess and hold BP accountable.

“I am disappointed, however, that the President has failed to waive the Jones Act for foreign ships, who want to assist in the clean-up efforts. There is no good
reason to turn away international help in responding to this environmental
catastrophe.

“Nevertheless, I look forward to working with President Obama to temper the House energy bill and craft a sensible long-term energy strategy for America that makes sense for
our economy.”

The 90-year old Jones Act blocks foreign vessels from operating in U.S. waters. Multiple foreign nations including Mexico, Canada, and Belgium have offered to assist the U.S. in cleaning up the BP oil spill disaster, but have been prevented from doing so because of the Jones Act. European companies with advanced environmental clean-up technologies could dramatically speed the Gulf coast clean up. The prior administration had waived the Jones Act to help with Hurricane Katrina relief efforts. For Hawai‘i residents, the Jones Act has resulted in increased costs for goods.

TEXT CREDIT: Congressman Charles Djou

VIDEO CREDIT: RepCharlesDjou

You never want a serious crisis to go to waste VIDEO

The President continued to follow the advice of his chief of staff Rahm "dead fish" Emanuel as his speech tonignt sought to exploit the gulf oil disaster to advance more taxes and governmental control.

Boehner Statement on President Obama’s Oval Office Address “President Obama should not exploit this crisis to impose a job-killing national energy tax on struggling families and small businesses.”

Congressman John Boehner (R-West Chester) issued the following statement in advance of tonight’s Oval Office address on the Gulf oil spill:

“While President Obama is speaking tonight, oil will continue to leak from the well and extend its stranglehold on the lives and livelihoods of the people in the affected areas. Even now, nearly two months after disaster first struck, the federal response remains inadequate and disorganized. Americans are rightly angry about this failure of government, and they want to know that their president is focused squarely on stopping this leak, cleaning up this mess, and finding out what went wrong.

“President Obama should not exploit this crisis to impose a job-killing national energy tax on struggling families and small businesses. Both parties should be working together to craft responsible solutions in response to this disaster. There’s nothing responsible or reasonable about a job-killing national energy tax that will raise energy costs and destroy more American jobs.

“President Obama will also reportedly address some of the financial issues surrounding the crisis, including the establishment of an escrow fund. These resources should be used to help the victims of this disaster, and not as a slush fund for trial lawyers or Administration officials seeking to paper over their own misguided decisions. BP should be held accountable for the full cost of this disaster – the taxpayers shouldn’t pay one dime - but that money must be directed to where it can be most effective in stopping this leak and aiding the recovery effort.

“I sincerely hope that the Obama Administration will not try to use a crisis made worse by its own failings to score political points on the backs of American living and working on the Gulf Coast. This is a moment that demands a call to action based on our shared interest in stopping this leak, cleaning up this mess, and finding out what went wrong.”