The Supreme Court this year overturned “Chevron deference” in its Loper Bright ruling, which deals a seismic blow to federal bureaucracy. Under the old standard, federal courts deferred to agency interpretations of law when a statute was deemed ambiguous. That’s no longer the…
— Vivek Ramaswamy (@VivekGRamaswamy) December 2, 2024
We are going to use this ruling to gut the federal government
— Not Elon Musk (@iamnot_elon) December 2, 2024
Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy are seizing a monumental opportunity. Following the Supreme Court’s decision in Loper Bright v. Raimondo, which overturned the 1984 Chevron v. Natural Resources Defense Council ruling, the pair aims to dismantle the federal regulatory state. This landmark decision removes the requirement for courts to defer to federal agencies’ interpretations of unclear laws, giving them a powerful tool to challenge existing regulations.
The ruling, issued earlier in 2024, has opened a legal path for Musk and Ramaswamy to target federal overreach. They plan to leverage this shift to aggressively cut regulations and reduce government influence. With greater judicial oversight now possible, agencies’ actions will face tougher scrutiny, allowing for a full-scale challenge to regulations that Musk and Ramaswamy deem unnecessary or burdensome.
Among their targets? Musk and Ramaswamy have already outlined specific cuts, including slashing funding for public broadcasting, Planned Parenthood, and international grants. They also plan to reduce entitlement programs such as Medicare and Medicaid, viewing them as prime examples of overreaching government policy.
This ruling could lead to sweeping changes across various sectors, from healthcare to environmental regulations. According to Ramaswamy, “Overturning Chevron deference, combined with the Major Questions Doctrine codified in West Virginia v. EPA, paves the way for not a slight but a drastic reduction in the scope of the federal regulatory state.”
The Supreme Court’s decision has significant ramifications. It’s not just a legal shift—it’s a chance for Musk and Ramaswamy to reshape how the U.S. government operates, slashing unnecessary regulations and reducing costs in the process. However, the long-term impact remains uncertain as this effort faces legal and political challenges. What is clear is that this ruling has set the stage for a battle over the future of federal governance.
Sources:
https://newrepublic.com/post/188915/supreme-court-elon-musk-vivek-ramaswamy-gut-government