**Strong bipartisan backing for preserving the Jones Act, combined with the absence of any active legislation for permanent repeal, underpins the 90% trader consensus against removal by December 31.** The Merchant Marine Act of 1920 mandates U.S.-built, owned, and crewed vessels for domestic coastal trade. Recent developments center on temporary executive waivers issued amid the Iran conflict to ease energy transport, with the latest 90-day extension—narrowed to case-by-case reviews after Maritime Administration surveys—set to expire around November 15. Domestic shipping groups, unions, and House Republican leaders including Speaker Mike Johnson have pressed the administration to end these waivers and protect American maritime jobs and shipbuilding capacity. Court rulings have upheld the law, and no floor votes, committee advances, or administration signals indicate a path to statutory elimination before year-end. Traders weigh these institutional and procedural barriers against the short timeline.