 Aloha, I'm Keeley Iaakina. Although I'm a trustee of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs and president of the Grassroot Institute, the views expressed in this commentary are solely my own as a private citizen. The stories coming out of Puerto Rico now are absolutely heart-rending. Already suffering from serious economic woes, the island was not prepared for the devastation that followed Hurricane Maria. Rescue and relief efforts have begun, but the challenges of supplies and repair are more substantial when everything needs to be brought in by boat or by plane. Recently, the Trump administration finally granted a Jones Act waiver to aid in the Puerto Rico relief effort, and it goes beyond just fuel to encompass all good shipped from U.S. ports to the island. But a temporary waiver isn't going to be enough this time. Puerto Rico has been lobbying to ease Jones Act restrictions long before Maria reached its shores. Much like in Hawaii, the Jones Act has been throttling that island's economy. Now Puerto Rico faces a substantial rebuilding effort, and the Jones Act will be a cruel and unnecessary burden. That is why Congress and the president should move to make this temporary Jones Act waiver permanent. Puerto Rico desperately needs meaningful, long-term relief, and removing the regulatory barriers created by the Jones Act's cabbage provisions could help its struggling residents rebuild both their infrastructure and their economy. And Puerto Rico is not the only far-flung U.S. island that deserves consideration in this case. There is a lesson here for those of us in Hawaii as well. Situated far from the United States mainland, we are more isolated and, therefore, more at risk in the case of an emergency. The Jones Act is a dead weight on our businesses and adds to our cost of living. Why should we wait for a disaster to take action when it has become clear that the act is a continual burden on every state and territory in the nation? The Jones Act waivers declared after Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Marie are a wake-up call to Washington, D.C. that it's time to update this dubious legislation for the 20th century. Ehana Kako, let's work together. I'm Kaylee Akina.