Consortium Statement on Supreme Court’s Decision to Overturn Chevron Deference

June 28, 2024

Today, the Supreme Court ruled on Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo and its companion case Relentless v. Dept. of Commerce. Read the Consortium’s statement below:

The Consortium is disappointed by today’s Supreme Court decision to eliminate the Chevron deference. This ruling limits the regulatory power of federal agencies, undermining their authority to administer regulations unless Congress has spoken clearly on the issue. The decision, overturning forty years of precedent, also opens agency decisions up to challenges through the judicial process, when previously, these agencies were allowed to make key decisions based on their expertise. The Consortium is concerned that key environmental and health policy levers will be hampered as a result of this ruling.

The Chevron deference long helped ensure that healthcare and environmental laws were interpreted and implemented appropriately through the appropriate federal agencies. This decision will damage environmental protections that help ensure healthy air and water for all communities, and will likely limit the EPA’s ability to implement and enforce regulations without legal challenge.

As medical professionals, we understand the importance of science-backed policymaking. Given that Congress can’t foresee all technical nuances and complications in the legislative process, the Chevron doctrine turned key technical decisions over to the administrative agencies who understood the scientific, medical, financial, or environmental backgrounds of the issues at hand. This ruling means that individual judges around the country can determine the best reading of a statute, which could cause confusion if they lack the appropriate expertise. The delays and confusion created by this ruling threaten the health of all Americans.

The Consortium, and our network of advocates and leaders in climate and health, will continue to work towards strong environmental policies and for healthy air, water, and environments for all communities.