# Congress Questions DHS Jones Act Enforcement

Rep. Salud Carbajal asked Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin how DHS is enforcing the Jones Act after presidential waivers of the law reached approximately 250 aggregate days. The Jones Act generally restricts domestic port-to-port cargo transportation to qualifying U.S. vessels. The signal describes congressional oversight of shipping access and enforcement, not a procurement notice, contract award, or solicitation; any implications for government contractors are indirect and may arise through maritime logistics and domestic vessel availability.

- Maritime operators and contractors supporting U.S. shipping can assess whether reliance on waiver-enabled vessel access affects their domestic shipping plans and logistics assumptions.
- The oversight centers on DHS’s enforcement of existing law and the duration of waivers; the signal does not identify a change to the Jones Act or a new compliance deadline.
- No contract opportunity, funding amount, vendor, or solicitation is identified, so this development should be treated as policy and market context rather than an active bid opportunity.

**Jurisdictions:** federal
**Industries:** Transportation
**Topics:** Regulatory Compliance
**Published:** October 19, 2026

### Government Entities
- Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
- U.S. House of Representatives

### Key Quotes
> The Administration has now authorized the waiver for an aggregate period of approximately 250 days, making oversight particularly important
> — Salud Carbajal, U.S. Representative