Supreme Court Overturns Chevron Deference, Restricts Bureaucratic Overreach

BISMARCK - The Supreme Court of the United States issued an opinion in the cases of Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo and Relentless, Inc. v. Department of Commerce today, overturning the Chevron doctrine, a cornerstone of administrative law. The doctrine played a pivotal role in determining how much federal courts defer to executive agencies' interpretation of statutes passed versus Congressional intent.

U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) issued the following statement on the Supreme Court's decision:

"The Chevron doctrine has plagued Americans for four decades by granting unelected bureaucrats excessive power to determine, and in many cases invent Congressional intent. The courts have been deferring to bureaucrats' misapplication of the law, rather than enforcing Congressional intent. This entire scheme grants outsized control to the so-called experts who are unaccountable to voters and have a vested interest in growing federal control. The Great Winston Churchill said it best: 'expert knowledge is limited knowledge.' I am grateful but not surprised the Court overturned this misguided doctrine to restore balance and protect the separation of powers. We are slowly restoring rights to the states and the people by diminishing the power of the government."