The Supreme Court overturned a longstanding rule on Friday, taking away the power of federal agencies to interpret laws. Now that decision could impact future agricultural laws.
In the 1980s in the case of Chevron v. Natural Resources Defense Council, the Supreme Court ruled that the Environmental Protection Agency had the right to interpret clean air policy established by Congress.
Now commonly known as the Chevron doctrine, the ruling set the precedent for federal agencies to interpret laws when the federal statutes were ambiguous. If the wording of a statute was unclear, the agencies, such as the Environmental Protection Agency, got to decide what it meant.
The recent 6-3 Supreme Court decision found that Chevron violated the Administrative Procedures Act by giving agencies the power to interpret laws rather than the judicial system.
Previously, the Chevron deference has given power to agencies to interpret laws that have ultimately created hurdles for farmers. Examples include:
- EPA and Army Corps: Waters of the U.S. Rule
- EPA: Endangered Species Act
- EPA: Clean Water Act
- USDA’s NCRS: Wetland determinations
Decision receives praise
Following the announcements, policymakers praised the court’s decision. House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn "GT" Thompson, R-Penn., welcomed the ruling, saying it restored the balance between the executive and legislative branches of government.
"In overturning the Chevron doctrine, the Supreme Court has taken a significant step in reaffirming a core principle of our Constitution: the power to legislate rests with Congress,” said Thompson. “For too long, unelected and unaccountable bureaucrats have wielded unchecked power with wide-reaching implications.”
Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, agreed. “The Supreme Court has made clear that we are a nation governed by the rule of law, not by bureaucratic regulators.”
Grassley also said the decision will help hold Congress and the executive branch accountable. “Congress will now be under extreme pressure to be more specific when writing legislation, so that a bill’s plain text can be clearly interpreted by the courts and federal agencies when legislation becomes law.”
American Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall emphasized how this is a beneficial decision for farmers. Duvall explained farmers have been caught in a regulatory back and forth when agencies change rules based on political priorities under different administrations.
“For decades, Congress has passed vague laws and left it to federal agencies and the courts to figure out how to implement them,” Duvall said. “Farm Bureau applauds the U.S. Supreme Court for recognizing the damage Chevron deference has caused to the federal government’s balance of power.”