‘s objections to a Rio Grande water compact between three Western states, prompting Justice Neil Gorsuch to quip that he’s coming to “regret” his 2018 ruling that said the federal government had special interests in the plan., several of the justices expressed skepticism that the Supreme Court, which has jurisdiction in disputes between states, was the proper venue to resolve the Biden administration’s objections to the water deal.
A lengthy negotiation process began after Gorsuch’s ruling. The special master eventually found that the states should negotiate their own deal without the federal government’s involvement. The states did manage to come to an agreement, but the administration argues the new deal did not address issues related to a 1906 U.S.-Mexico agreement, known as the Rio Grande Project, that was formed to ensure equitable water distribution via the construction of a dam in New Mexico.
“I’ve got to say you’re making me regret that decision,” Gorsuch, a Trump appointee, said in reference to his 2018 majority opinion.