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Earlier this spring, in Rutherford v. United States, the Supreme Court held the U.S. Sentencing Commission’s interpretation of 18 U.S.C. § 3582(c)(1) was inconsistent with the underlying statutory text, and that nonretroactive changes in sentencing law could not qualify as “extraordinary and compelling reasons” to justify early release.  That decision, and its explanation of the principles that limit the Commission’s delegated authority, accentuates how Loper Bright v. Raimondo now binds every agency—including the Commission.   In her opinion for the majority, Justice Barrett…

The Departments of Interior and Commerce announced the finalization of a rule rescinding regulations issued by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service that had dramatically expanded the scope of the Endangered Species Act to potentially criminalize conduct and private land use decisions Congress did not statutorily authorize the Services to reach. The announcement explains that “[t]his reform is based on the Supreme Court’s 2024 decision in Loper Bright v. Raimondo[.]”  The Services concluded that their regulations were not the best reading of…

In a recent Politico interview, when asked about a “fundamental shift” in the focus of the Environmental Protection Agency under his tenure, Administrator Lee Zeldin highlighted how the Supreme Court’s decision in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo is paramount to his decision-making.  

Earlier this week, the Supreme Court granted the petition for writ of certiorari in American Gas Association v. Department of Energy, vacated the D.C. Circuit’s judgment below, and remanded for reconsideration “in light of the position asserted by the Solicitor General” in the government’s response brief.  This move revives the fight over the validity of the Department of Energy’s (“DOE”)  efficiency standards for residential furnaces and commercial water heaters.  More importantly, the GVR puts front and center on remand a question that courts are already grappling…

Last week, in Rutherford v. United States, the Court held 6-3 that certain nonretroactive changes to federal mandatory minimum sentences effectuated by the First Step Act (FSA) do not qualify as an “extraordinary and compelling reason” that can justify a reduced sentence under the “compassionate release” exception to the general rule against district courts modifying…

Several commentators have noted the potential relevance of the Supreme Court’s consequential decision in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo to coming fights over the authority of the Federal Communications Commission and Federal Trade Commission.   Ed Whelan in National Review recently suggested the FCC’s attempts to “thwart[] judicial review of the legality of . . . license transfers,” which will soon be considered…

Professor Aaron Nielson has published some fascinating commentary over at Civitas Outlook in which he explores the dangers of agencies misusing science—or what they claim to be science—to avoid the impacts of Loper Bright and the end of Chevron deference.