NCAE applauds rejection of Chevron Doctrine

The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn the Chevron doctrine in the case of Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo has been met with enthusiastic approval by the National Council of Agricultural Employers (NCAE). The ruling, which limits federal agencies’ regulatory power, is seen as a significant win for the agricultural community.

“For the past 40 years, America’s farmers and ranchers have endured federal agencies run amok,” Michael Marsh, President and CEO of NCAE, said in a news release. “America’s agricultural employers operate every day within a dizzying web of government regulations. The H-2A temporary agricultural worker program, specifically, is one of the most heavily regulated areas of the American economy, with an ever-changing set of rules and agency interpretations.”

 

Marsh pointed out the burden of recent regulations, noting three new rules in the past two years addressing wages, safety standards, and employee provisions. He praised the Supreme Court’s decision, stating that it restores balance to the constitutional system and reaffirms the judiciary’s role in impartially administering laws, independent of political influence.

“Despite witnessing the negative impact Chevron inflicted on many industries, including agriculture, Congress has not spoken on this subject for the past 40 years,” Marsh said in the release. “The courts have given federal agencies nearly limitless power to issue regulations and interpretations under the Chevron doctrine, ruling against employers’ challenges to the regulations imposed on them again and again.”

The Supreme Court’s decision in Loper Bright Enterprises and Relentless marks an end to Chevron deference. Chief Justice Roberts emphasized that “agencies have no special competence in resolving statutory ambiguities,” affirming that this role belongs to the courts.

“For the past 60 years, NCAE has advocated for the agricultural employer community, including supporting lawsuits to challenge agency regulations. We hope that, based on the Court’s decision today, we will be able to make those challenges on a level playing field,” Marsh said in the release.