Cite as: 520 U. S. 751 (1997)
Opinion of the Court
statutory sentencing enhancements, as the United States argues, or (2) the maximum term available without such enhancements, as the Commission has determined. We conclude that the Commission's interpretation is inconsistent with § 994(h)'s plain language, and therefore hold that "maximum term authorized" must be read to include all applicable statutory sentencing enhancements.
I
A
In 1984, Congress created the Commission and charged it with "establish[ing] sentencing policies and practices for the Federal criminal justice system." 28 U. S. C. § 991; see Mistretta v. United States, 488 U. S. 361, 367-370 (1989). The Commission, however, was not granted unbounded discretion. Instead, Congress articulated general goals for federal sentencing and imposed upon the Commission a variety of specific requirements. See §§ 994(b)-(n). Among those requirements, Congress directed that the Commission
"shall assure that the guidelines specify a sentence to a term of imprisonment at or near the maximum term authorized for categories of defendants in which the defendant is eighteen years old or older and—
"(1) has been convicted of a felony that is— "(A) a crime of violence; or "(B) an offense described in section 401 of the Controlled Substances Act (21 U. S. C. 841) . . . ; and
"(2) has previously been convicted of two or more prior [such] felonies . . . ." 28 U. S. C. § 994(h).
The Commission sought to implement this directive by promulgating the "Career Offender Guideline," which created a table of enhanced total offense levels to be used in calculating sentences for "career offenders." United States Sentencing Commission, Guidelines Manual § 4B1.1 (Nov. 1987)
753
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