U.S. lawmakers criticize Biden administration Puerto Rico fuel waiver
2022.10.21 18:41
© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks next to First Lady Jill Biden at Port of Ponce, Puerto Rico, October 3, 2022. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein
(Reuters) – A bipartisan group of House lawmakers criticized the Biden administration decision to waive U.S. shipping rules in September for the delivery of fuel to Puerto Rico.
The Sept. 28 Jones Act waiver allowed for the delivery of diesel that was sourced from the mainland United States by British Petroleum Products North America.
House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee chair Peter DeFazio, top committee Republican Sam Graves and two other lawmakers expressed “concerns and disappointment” over the waiver. “We do not understand how the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)… made a retroactive determination that no U.S.-flag vessels could have performed the move for which the waiver was granted,” the letter said.
