EPA chief spars with Boebert over Chevron decision: ‘Do you understand the ruling?’

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael Regan clashed with conservative firebrand Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) during a tense House hearing — asking her if she understood the Supreme Court’s ruling that overturned a legal precedent known as the Chevron deference.

Boebert, during an Oversight and Accountability Committee hearing Wednesday, asked Regan whether the EPA would repeal any “unconstitutional regulations” enacted by “rogue bureaucrats” because of the decision. 

In response, Regan asked her, “Do you understand the ruling?”

Boebert asked him the same question: “Do you understand the ruling of the Supreme Court?”

Regan said that he did, and told Boebert her question was “ill-formed.” 

The Chevron deference had instructed courts to defer to federal agencies’ interpretation of the law in cases where it is ambiguous. 

In practice, this gave agencies, including the EPA, some latitude to issue federal regulations based on their understanding of statutes. The decision to overturn the doctrine tells judges to instead abide by their own interpretation of the law when assessing legal challenges to an agency action.

The decision does not block any specific rules or explicitly prevent any agency actions. The Supreme Court’s opinion also said that rules previously upheld based on the Chevron deference should still stand.