McClellan Statement on the Supreme Court’s Decision to Gut Federal Agencies’ Authority

Washington, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan (VA-04) issued the following statement after the Supreme Court announced its decision to overturn Chevron v. National Resources Defense Council in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo, Secretary of Commerce and Relentless, Inc. v. Department of Commerce: 

“Today’s decision by the Supreme Court is part of a troubling trend, marking the third time in two years that the Court has overturned long-standing judicial precedent. This latest move represents an unprecedented power grab, as it eviscerates 40 years of judicial deference to federal agencies’ rulemaking actions.  

“By overturning Chevron v. NRDC, the Supreme Court severely undermines the ability of federal agencies to use their expertise to reasonably interpret laws during rulemaking and implementation processes. This will drastically hamper federal agencies’ ability to establish effective rules and implementation guidelines to reduce pollution, ensure strong food quality standards, regulate the pharmaceutical industry, protect Americans in the workplace, and more.

“The Court’s reversal of the Chevron deference shifts authority away from the Executive Branch to favor the Judicial Branch, fundamentally altering the balance of power in our government.” 

McClellan is a cosponsor of H.R. 1507, the Stop Corporate Capture Act, to codify the Chevron deference and establish rulemaking transparency while empowering the public to hold agencies accountable.