DeepSummary
The Supreme Court made several significant rulings on Friday, further curtailing the power of the federal government and agencies. In the Grants Pass v. Johnson case, the Court ruled that cities can criminalize homelessness and sleeping in public spaces. In Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo, the Court overturned the long-standing Chevron deference doctrine, stripping federal agencies of their ability to reasonably interpret and enforce laws.
The Court also limited the scope of the federal obstruction statute in Fischer v. United States, potentially impacting some prosecutions related to the January 6th attack on the Capitol. The rulings were seen as a major power grab by the Court, further dismantling the administrative state and regulatory authority of the federal government.
While presidential debates often attract significant attention, the podcast argues that the real threat to democracy lies in the Supreme Court's decisions that undermine the functioning of government agencies and their ability to address issues like climate change, public health, and financial regulation. The Court is effectively positioning itself as the ultimate authority on legislative matters, regardless of who occupies the White House.
Key Episodes Takeaways
- The Supreme Court issued several significant rulings on Friday that further curtailed the power of federal agencies and the administrative state.
- The Court effectively positioned itself as the ultimate arbiter of legislative matters, overriding the authority of Congress and the executive branch.
- The rulings potentially impact prosecutions related to the January 6th attack on the Capitol, narrowing the scope of the federal obstruction statute.
- The Court's decisions were seen as a major power grab, further dismantling the regulatory authority of the federal government.
- The podcast argues that the real threat to democracy lies in the Supreme Court's decisions, rather than the outcome of presidential debates.
- The rulings undermine the ability of the federal government to address issues like climate change, public health, and financial regulation.
- Justice Barrett's dissent in the Fischer case suggests potential discomfort with the Court's approach to the January 6th prosecutions.
- The decisions reflect a broader trend of the Court shifting power away from federal agencies and towards the judiciary.
Top Episodes Quotes
- “I mean, it's really as if Justice McScrooge has become the justice, are there no workhouses for these people? You know, it just, we're going back to the 19th century as fast as the Supreme Court's feet will take us there.“ by Pam Carlin
- “I think it's interesting to bring up Anderson and look at the split in that case, which was five four in part, with Barrett ultimately voting on the same side as the liberals, not to go as, as far as the majority did to shield Trump from getting disqualified. Right. And Barrett didn't have, didn't explain a lot of her reasoning. But if you look at her dissent in Fisher, I certainly sense more discomfort about January 6 from her dissent than I do from the chief justice's majority opinion.“ by Mark Joseph Stern
- “I think that for Justice Barrett, this was an easy textual question, and I think she's absolutely right. You know, the majority's decision is really animated by this fear of, well, if we interpret the law this broadly, then what will happen next?“ by Mark Joseph Stern
- “The government is vast. It is largely run by a bunch of agencies, which you probably haven't heard of, that are staffed with experts with deep knowledge and experience in a particular subject matter, with lawyers who affirmatively want to make government, and with political appointees who, yes, may be ambitious, may have, you know, their own partisan aims, but are in charge of a really important functioning part of government and are accountable to the president, who's accountable to the people.“ by Mark Joseph Stern
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Episode Information
Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts
Slate Podcasts
6/29/24