Posted on May 1, 2018 by Mark Walker
Seth Jaffe and I have both previously blogged about Public Citizen v. Trump. It is the lawsuit challenging Trump’s Executive Order 13771 which, with some exceptions, mandates two existing federal regulations be eliminated for every new regulation. Several public interest groups challenged the EO asserting that it will block or repeal regulations needed to protect the environment, health and safety and that it directs federal agencies to engage in decision making that is arbitrary, capricious and contrary to other existing laws.
Since its filing, no substantive issues have been addressed. Instead, the case has been mired in addressing the issue of standing. Standing requires that the plaintiffs demonstrate a personal stake in the outcome of the controversy. In order to demonstrate Article III jurisdiction, the plaintiff associations must either show “associational standing” or “organizational standing”. Associational standing requires that the plaintiffs demonstrate that the EO will substantially increase the risk that at least one of their members will either be harmed or face a substantial probability of harm once such increased risk is taken into account. Organizational standing requires that the plaintiffs demonstrate that they have standing to sue in their own right which requires that they show the EO will have a chilling effect on their missions.
On February 26, 2018, Judge Moss ruled that the plaintiffs had failed to demonstrate standing and that, therefore, the court did not have jurisdiction to entertain their lawsuit. In a lengthy decision, the judge held that the plaintiffs had not identified a specific member who had yet suffered an injury as a result of the EO. The plaintiffs brought this action before any specific regulatory actions had been taken pursuant to the EO. Therefore, they could not identify any specific regulations that had been repealed or were likely to be repealed as a result of the EO. The court held that plaintiffs’ allegation that it was “likely” that the EPA and other agencies would stop seeking new regulations in order to protect existing ones was overly speculative.
Most of plaintiffs’ arguments in support of associational standing related to their claims that the EO had already delayed the issuance of new regulations. For example, the plaintiffs alleged that the EO had already delayed an unspecified regulation on greenhouse gas emissions. One of the NRDC’s members asserted that global warming and the resulting rise in sea level would deprive him of water supply and the use of his home. However, as Judge Moss noted, the plaintiffs had not identified any proposed rule or putative regulatory action that addressed this concern or that had been delayed by the EO.
As to organizational standing, the plaintiffs claimed that the EO would cause them harm by chilling their advocacy activities. The advanced basis for this claim was that the plaintiffs would now have to “think twice” about advocating new regulations with the knowledge that a new regulation could result in the elimination of two regulations which plaintiffs believe are necessary protections, thus imperiling their ability to advocate thereby chilling their First Amendment right. However, the plaintiffs could not point to any specific regulation which had yet presented this alleged Catch 22. Instead, they merely claimed they were now forced to consider the issue. Judge Moss held that this “think twice” argument did not establish an injury in fact.
This case is a text book example of the difficulties public advocacy groups face in demonstrating standing, particularly where the new proposed regulation has not yet been adopted or implemented. Although the plaintiffs amended their claims once before to address standing, Judge Moss has allowed them to amend again to try to establish standing. Of course, if subsequent agency actions pursuant to the EO demonstrate standing, the plaintiffs will then be allowed to pursue a lawsuit. It is noted that the Trump Administration is now proposing a 3-for-1 plan for 2018.
Tags: Trump, Executive Order, Reducing Regulations