President Donald Trump waived the Jones Act early Thursday morning. This decision comes a day after he said he would not waive the act due to "business interests," according to Newsweek.

The Jones Act was inhibiting international vessels from supplying Puerto Rico with much-needed resources and aid. The island is currently suffering from an extreme lack of food, water, and electricity after being destroyed by Hurricane Maria.

Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said the act would be lifted immediately per the request of the Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rossello.

The act will be lifted for 10 days and will allow all supplies to be shipped to the island.

The Jones Act

The Jones Act, which is nearly a century old, requires supplies to be shipped to a US port on US ships with an American crew.

Prior to the act being waived, it was more expensive to ship this supplies to the island. According to Vox, Puerto Rico needed to use expensive ships to deliver goods to the island and the US. Additionally, the supplies are costly in comparison to how they are priced on the US mainland.

The act was lifted for Hurricane Harvey and Irma to provide relief to the states affected, according to Newsweek.

Politicians and citizens have been pressuring Trump into waiving the act since the hurricane made landfall.

Arizona Senator John McCain tweeted on Thursday morning congress must repeal the Jones Act to support long-time recovery.

People have taken to Twitter to express their disdain towards Trump's allegedly slow response to this crisis. Others are praising him for what they believe are quick decisions.

Despite the island's call for help, Trump said on Tuesday Rossello allegedly thanked him and that the US government has been a big help in the relief.

The New York Times reported on Tuesday Trump claimed Rossello told him, "The entire federal workforce is doing great work in Puerto Rico. And I appreciated his [Rossello] saying it. And he is saying it to anybody that will listen."

Trump is expected to visit Puerto Rico on Tuesday.

The crisis continues

The devastation of Hurricane Maria continues to affect the island as the Natural Resources Defense Council Health Director Erik Olson reports the water is polluted, according to NBC News.

The group found an increase in lead, bacteria, and chemicals in the water due to the territory's inability to maintain proper water regulations.

According to NBC News, 70 percent of the island's drinking water is currently not meeting safety standards and regulations.
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