Leaders in America’s seafood industry are resisting new initiatives from Democrats on Capitol Hill that fishermen argue may “silence” their voices.
On Tuesday, Senator Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., junto avec plusieurs de ses collègues démocrates, a introduit le Stop Corporate Capture Act (SCCA), qu’elle dit viser à empêcher les entreprises de “détourner” le gouvernement.
The proposed legislation seeks to solidify the Chevron doctrine – a legal principle from the 1980s stating that courts should defer to the expertise of regulatory agencies when federal regulations are contested.
Last month, the Supreme Court overturned that doctrine following a lawsuit from fishermen against the government, alleging it imposed restrictions on their industry that were not authorized by Congress. Justice Clarence Thomas remarked that Chevron deference “allows the Executive Branch to wield powers it was not given.”
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Fisherman David Goethel sorts cod and haddock while fishing off the coast of New Hampshire, April 23, 2016. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty, File)
With the potential re-establishment of the Chevron doctrine in federal law, New England fishermen are expressing their frustrations, highlighting the recent offshore wind crisis affecting Nantucket Island in Massachusetts as evidence that “expert bureaucrats” should not hold sway over their industry.
“The so-called expert bureaucrats approved the Vineyard Wind turbines that are collapsing in Senator Warren’s state, creating debris from Nantucket all the way to Cape Cod. Fishermen have long recognized that offshore wind will devastate our oceans. Yet regulatory agencies misused Chevron deference to mute our voices,” stated Jerry Leeman, CEO of the New England Fishermen’s Stewardship Association (NEFSA), in a conversation with Fox News Digital.
NEFSA CEO Jerry Leeman remarks, “So-called expert bureaucrats approved the Vineyard Wind turbines that are falling apart in Senator Warren’s home state, spreading debris from Nantucket to Cape Cod.” (Courtesy Jerry Leeman)
“Without Chevron, fishermen have a real opportunity to defend their jobs, heritage, communities, and the marine environment against regulators and developers who are turning the ocean into an industrial site.”
The Vineyard Wind project is a partnership between foreign firms Avangrid and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, responsible for constructing offshore wind farms along the coast of Massachusetts.
Earlier this month, a blade the size of a football field broke off a wind turbine, sending debris and fiberglass shards into the sea, much of which drifted ashore in Nantucket.
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Senator Elizabeth Warren during a Bloomberg Television interview on Capitol Hill on July 12, 2023. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
NEFSA and other organizations, such as the Responsible Offshore Development Alliance (RODA), have opposed the Biden administration’s offshore wind initiatives, but with limited success.
Significantly, Vineyard Wind benefits from a 30% tax incentive established by the Inflation Reduction Act, which extended and enhanced tax credits for wind energy projects that began construction before January 1, 2025.
Fishermen like Leeman express concern that codifying the Chevron doctrine into law would leave them at a disadvantage in court, as government agencies typically hold more regulatory authority when challenges arise.
Steve Forbes commented, “Senator Warren’s attacks on small and family-owned businesses seem relentless. She aims to reestablish bureaucratic control over small enterprises at a time when the Supreme Court has wisely limited big government intrusions.”
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Maine lobstermen gathering their latest catch off the state’s coast. (Maine Lobstermen’s Association/Marketing Collaborative)
“Senator Warren and her allies’ new legislation to codify the Chevron Doctrine represents an attempt to circumvent the recent Supreme Court ruling that curtails the influence of federal agencies,” remarked Elaine Parker of the Job Creators Network Foundation.
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“Senator Warren and her group attempt to delegate their legislative responsibilities to bureaucrats, thus expanding the federal government’s reach at the cost of small businesses,” Parker commented, adding that the bill may be “unconstitutional.”
“This [bill] illustrates once more that Democrats prioritize regulators over the needs of everyday Americans,” she stated.
Warren’s office has not responded to Fox News Digital’s request for feedback.
