The following statement can be attributed to a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokesperson:
“Today, Secretary Mayorkas approved a temporary and targeted Jones Act waiver request for a second company. This decision was made after careful consideration and consultation with interagency partners across the federal government as part of the whole-of-government response President Biden directed to address the impacts of the Colonial Pipeline shut down.”
Last night, Secretary Mayorkas, in the interest of national defense, approved an initial temporary and targeted waiver request in response to eastern seaboard oil supply constraints. The Departments of Transportation, Energy, and Defense were consulted in order to assess the justification for the waiver requests and ensure approval of the waivers is in the interest of national defense.