Supreme Court overturns Chevron deference in Loper Bright 40-year precedent empowering agencies

The Supreme Court votes 6-3 in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo to overturn Chevron U.S.A. v. Natural Resources Defense Council, the 1984 precedent that had required courts to defer to federal agencies' reasonable interpretations of ambiguous statutes. Chief Justice Roberts writes that "courts must exercise their own judgment in determining the meaning of statutory provisions." Justice Kagan warns in dissent that the ruling gives courts "exclusive power over every open issue, no matter how expertise-driven or policy-laden." The Biden administration had urged the court to leave Chevron intact. The ruling immediately emboldens challenges to environmental, health care, labor, and consumer protection regulations. It comes alongside the Court's immunity ruling in Trump v. United States, making a historic day that sharply curtails federal regulatory and executive power.