A Supreme Court decision Friday left an uncertain and more difficult path for Congress to shape how the federal government carries out laws on major issues such as environment, health, immigration and more, lawmakers and legal experts said.
The opinion overturned a long-standing legal doctrine called Chevron deference, which required judges to defer to an agency’s interpretation when it comes to regulations about laws that are ambiguous.
Instead, the decision states that judges should give that deference only when Congress explicitly says an agency can make its own decision. The high court ruling will spark more litigation over regulations, experts said, but also scramble the lawmaking process on Capitol Hill.
