Biden’s betrayal of America's fishermen

The days of the Democrat Party’s purported alignment with the heart and soul of working Americans are long over.

Although Biden portrays himself as a champion of American Labor, his policies have hurt working people and small businesses. Urban centers have been run into the ground. 

But Biden’s bad work is not done. His green energy agenda stands to destroy the livelihoods of America’s fishermen.

Lobster fishermen work at sunrise, Sept. 8, 2022, off Kennebunkport, Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty, File)

The Supreme Court has heard two cases asking the justices to overrule the Chevron deference in Relentless Inc. v. Department of Commerce and Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo. 

THE SUPREME COURT CAN SAVE WORKING FISHERMEN FROM BIDEN REGULATORS

Under Chevron, courts must accept agency interpretations of ambiguous laws instead of allowing Congress to interpret them through the democratic process. A favored tool of the Biden administration, Chevron rests power in the hands of unelected bureaucrats almost always to the detriment of working Americans. 

The cases before the high court began as challenges to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) at-sea monitor program, which places observers aboard commercial fishing vessels to monitor fishermen while they work. 

According to the fishermen, the program is intrusive, unsafe, and imposes excessive financial burdens on their businesses. Every day, it is threatening local fishing economies, livelihoods and America’s food supply.

The costs of this program, in human and economic terms, are significant. NOAA observers often have little to no experience with commercial fishing. This creates major safety problems for fishermen and observers alike. 

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According to the New England Fisherman’s Stewardship Association (NEFSA), "a commercial fishing vessel is one of the most stressful and dangerous working environments in our country." Oftentimes, even experienced fishermen break under the pressure, get violently ill or have mental health episodes. 

Adding insult to real injury, fishermen are also expected to cover the NOAA monitor’s expenses, to the tune of at least $700 per day, despite federal law not authorizing such charges. These costs add up to thousands of dollars over a multi-day voyage. It is like paying the IRS a big fee to audit your tax return.

It is no surprise then that during its hearing, Justice Neil Gorsuch observed that Chevron "has this disparate impact on different classes of persons," specifically those "who have no power to influence agencies." 

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In short, Chevron is a tool wielded by the powerful, in this case the Biden administration, against the powerless: America’s fishermen. 

A decision will be coming in this session of the high court. 

The Biden administration is fighting tooth and nail to convince the court to leave Chevron in place. But if it loses, the administration has found other ways to bring the fishing industry under its power. 

Under the guise of climate protections, the Biden administration is pushing offshore wind development, which threatens to destroy fishing communities, local ecosystems and U.S. food production. 

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According to Bonnie Brady, the executive director of the Long Island Commercial Fishing Association, "Instead of allowing the domestic industry to grow, offshore wind, which I'll just say that's the biggest threat to commercial fishing in the United States... is being pumped up and pushed out on steroids by this administration." 

Rising fuel costs thanks to inflation, of course, are also making it harder for fishermen to sustain their business.

Offshore wind power projects have been financial and ecological disasters. Ask the beleaguered whales whose populations have suffered from these misbegotten schemes. But the far left and their political allies won’t stop.

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In pursuit of his green energy agenda, the Biden administration has forsaken America’s working class. From fisherman, to farmers, to small business owners, the essence of America’s economy is suffering under his inflationary policies and overregulation. 

The assault on fishing industries is just the latest example of how difficult it is, under Biden’s leadership, for regular Americans to stay afloat.

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Steve Forbes is chairman and editor-in-chief of Forbes Media.