WASHINGTON, DC – Today, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 288, the Separation of Powers Restoration Act, legislation introduced by Congressman Scott Fitzgerald:
“Government works best when it can be held accountable, said Congressman Scott Fitzgerald. Unfortunately, unelected bureaucrats in our agencies wield far more power than intended because of mandated deference, like Chevron, during judicial review. This legislation restores Congress’s authority as the branch that makes the laws and the judiciary as the branch to interpret and enforce them.”
Background
In 1984, the Supreme Court ruled in Chevron v. Natural Resources Defense Council that courts must defer to agency interpretations of ambiguous statues rather than how Congress wrote them. This has led to executive branch agencies circumventing Congress to issue rules with the force of law. The Separation of Powers Restoration Act repeals that precedent, restores congressional intent, and stops executive branch overreach.
View the bill here
