On Tuesday, a group of 19 conservative and libertarian organizations reached out to congressional leaders with a letter urging swift action following a significant Supreme Court ruling that limits the power of federal agencies.
This coalition, led by Americans for Prosperity, emphasized that lawmakers have a “generational opportunity” to rein in the federal bureaucracy after the Supreme Court overturned Chevron deference in June. This doctrine had mandated courts to defer to federal agencies’ interpretations of ambiguous laws for 40 years.
The abolishment of Chevron deference ignites a wave of advocacy for accountability and oversight within federal agencies
The abolition of Chevron deference represents a significant triumph for the conservative legal movement. With President-elect Trump poised to return to the White House, figures like Vivek Ramaswamy and Elon Musk are seizing this ruling as part of their ambitious initiatives to reduce federal regulations, working as co-heads of the newly established “Department of Government Efficiency,” or DOGE.
In their letter, the coalition urged Congress to reduce the authority granted to agencies in future legislation, simplify the processes that allow lawmakers to overturn federal regulations, and enhance oversight of agencies, among other recommendations.
The coalition contended that these measures are crucial to ensure that “Congress stays one step ahead of bureaucrats’ future attempts to regain lost influence and thwart government by the People.”
The letter emphasized, “[W]ith Chevron vanquished and a growing nationwide demand to dismantle the administrative state and its crippling regulatory barriers, we write to recommend prioritizing the actions below to build a strong foundation for Congress to meet the challenges of a post-Chevron landscape.”
Americans for Prosperity, a conservative advocacy organization backed by Charles Koch, who leads Koch Inc., has played a pivotal role in major regulatory challenges. The 18 organizations that co-signed the letter include notable groups such as Americans for Tax Reform, Heritage Action, Club for Growth, the Competitive Enterprise Institute, and the Manhattan Institute.
Many of these organizations were instrumental in supporting the Supreme Court’s effort earlier this year that resulted in the dismantling of Chevron deference.
The 1984 ruling had been referenced in thousands of lower court cases that upheld regulations affecting various aspects of American life, serving as a cornerstone of modern administrative law.
Anti-regulatory advocates have long aimed to dismantle this precedent as part of a broader campaign against the “administrative state,” finding success with the current 6-3 conservative majority in the Supreme Court.
In a decision aligned with ideological lines, the justices ruled that courts must apply their independent judgment in determining whether an agency has acted within its statutory authority, thereby eliminating the deference that previously granted the federal bureaucracy extensive power.
