Statement of Jocelyn Frye, President of the National Partnership for Women & Families

WASHINGTON, D.C. – June 28, 2024 – Today, the Supreme Court upended sound, longstanding, legal precedent that has provided protections for everyday people for decades by overturning the landmark Chevron U.S.A., Inc. v. Natural Resources Defense Council decision, severely limiting the ability of public agencies to issue regulations to protect people in every corner of the nation from bad actors.

For 40 years, Congress, businesses, consumers and families have relied on public agencies’ expertise to create and enforce consistent and stable regulations across industries, from economic security to reproductive care, clean air and food safety to clothing manufacturing processes, and more. Until today, the courts have deferred to agencies and their expertise to establish regulations and safeguards. Now, judges without the experience or expertise of career public servants at federal agencies will have the power to upend protections.

The following is the statement of Jocelyn C. Frye, President, National Partnership for Women & Families:

“We condemn the Supreme Court’s decision in Relentless, Inc. v. Dept. of Commerce and Loper Bright Enterprises, Inc. v. Raimondo to undo decades of sound legal precedent. This ruling will have severe ramifications for federal public agencies’ ability to enforce labor and civil rights protections, safety standards and access to reproductive health care, among countless other areas.

“Today’s decision, unfortunately, is not a surprise; it is the latest example of an extreme wing of the Court driving an ideological agenda that has little to do with the fair and consistent implementation of laws across our country. The ruling is part of an ongoing effort to dismantle regulations that are essential to ensuring that our laws are implemented fairly, as they were intended, informed by the expertise and experience of those working in agencies dealing with these laws every day. These regulations were put in place to protect the American people – especially marginalized groups such as women, people of color, disabled people, and LGBTQI+ people. As just one example of the myriad of harms that could result from these rulings, the Court is paving the way for far-right extremists to tie up and litigate away our reproductive rights and more in courts for years to come. The Relentless power grab could open the door for ultra-conservative judges to dictate the rules that govern contraceptive coverage, prohibit federally funded family planning providers from referring patients for abortion care and expand religious exemptions to undermine our rights and access to care, amidst a host of other potential threats. At the same time, the Supreme Court continues to evade any meaningful ethics reforms that would shield its own members from the corrupting influence of special interests.

While it does not remove the legal authority for agencies to protect the public through rulemaking, this devastating decision has exposed the American people to injury and injustice at the hands of power-hungry actors. While the Supreme Court has once again failed its duty to protect our most vulnerable communities, the National Partnership will continue to work with our allies to safeguard the rights and the freedoms of people who face the steepest hurdles.”

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