Election Approaches as Gas Prices Surge Past $4, Sparking Public Outrage – White House Bets on Waiving This Act – Experts: Price Drop Effect Limited

The White House is preparing to extend, within the coming days, the Jones Act waiver that has been in effect for several months, aiming to increase fuel transport flexibility, reduce logistics bottlenecks, and thereby lower gasoline retail prices that remain stubbornly high. According to sources, this move coincides with President Trump’s recent public criticism of Exxon Mobil and Chevron for 'making too much money.'

The Jones Act is a century-old U.S. maritime law requiring goods transported between U.S. domestic ports to be carried by vessels built in the United States, owned by U.S. companies, and crewed by American nationals. Long regarded as a vital tool for protecting the U.S. maritime industry and national security, the law has also kept domestic fuel transportation costs high—particularly evident in markets like California and the East Coast.

The Trump administration is currently under pressure as the national average gasoline price exceeds $4 per gallon, with midterm elections approaching in November and short-term options for lowering prices dwindling. The administration has previously attempted to reduce oil prices by increasing crude supply and relaxing regulations. On August 3, President Trump directly called out Exxon Mobil and Chevron, urging them to pass profits down to the pump. Neither company immediately responded to media inquiries.

Bob McNally, president of energy advisory firm Rapidan Energy Group, noted that the most effective tool for any U.S. president to lower prices would normally be urging Saudi Arabia to increase production. However, ongoing conflicts related to Iran in the Strait of Hormuz continue to disrupt exports, making this option unviable. Other alternatives—such as imposing excess profit taxes on oil companies, direct gasoline price controls, or legal actions—are either politically impractical, economically risky, or incapable of meaningfully reducing prices. McNally assessed that while the Jones Act waiver increases tanker deployment flexibility, its impact on retail gasoline prices may amount to only a few cents per gallon.

Some key Republican lawmakers, including House Speaker Mike Johnson and Majority Leader Steve Scalise, have pressured the administration to narrow the waiver’s scope. They warn that excessive use of the waiver could weaken the U.S. domestic fleet and undermine the national security objectives of the Jones Act. White House officials stated they are continuously monitoring waiver usage, discussions are ongoing, and any further announcements will come directly from the President or the administration.

Maritime industry groups are intensifying opposition to extending the waiver. The American Maritime Partnership has resumed advertising on CNBC and Fox News, while the American Waterways Operators is running digital ad campaigns. Jennifer Carpenter, president of the American Maritime Partnership, criticized that the waiver primarily benefits foreign operators and energy companies—not consumers—and diverts routine domestic transport to foreign firms linked to China and Russia, thereby damaging the foundation of the U.S. maritime industry.