President Joe Biden is expected to endorse key changes to the U.S. Supreme Court.
According to Breitbart News, Biden plans to support Supreme Court changes to energize his left-wing base amid his struggling reelection campaign.
The proposal includes imposing term limits on Supreme Court justices and crafting an enforceable ethics code for the court. However, the idea of increasing the number of justices is notably absent, possibly due to political risks and a potentially shifting congressional landscape.
President Biden, who once steered clear of significant alterations to the Supreme Court's structure, appears to have reversed his stance. This change comes on the heels of heightened pressure from the left wing of the Democratic Party after the appointments of Justices Brett Kavanaugh in 2018 and Amy Coney Barrett not long after.
Concerns about the court's current makeup have grown since its reconfiguration under President Donald Trump, resulting in a six-member conservative majority.
Attempted during the periods of Democratic dominance in Congress during 2021 and 2022, court expansion was once a major talking point to mitigate these conservative leanings but has since lost traction among party members wary of future Republican reprisals.
A notable shift for Biden comes after the Judicial Commission’s 2021 report, which while skeptical of court expansion benefits, advised considering term limits and an ethics code for justices. This was an idea Biden initially just floated through a commission to analyze without tangible commitments.
According to The Washington Post, Biden is now prepared to implement these recommendations by proposing legislation geared toward these significant reforms. Additionally, the President is deliberating on an amendment that would restrict broad immunity for presidents and other constitutional officers, enhancing accountability at the highest ranks of government.
These moves are fraught with political implications, especially as the Democrats grapple with maintaining their slim congressional majority amidst the looming 2024 presidential election. Introducing such reforms requires navigating a fractured Senate, where bipartisan support is critical, given current filibuster rules.
In an official statement, Rep. Michael Rulli voiced a common criticism among Republicans, suggesting that these judicial reforms are more about partisan grievances rather than judicial effectiveness. He said that Democrats are trying to change the rules because recent Court decisions haven’t gone their way.
President Biden reiterated the gravity of these changes in a recent speech, framing the upcoming election as crucial: "The most important of our lifetime."
The implications of Biden’s proposed reforms extend far beyond his presidential term, potentially redefining the landscape of U.S. judicial politics.
These proposals underscore a strategic pivot designed to both appease a crucial faction within his party and leave a lasting imprint on the nation's highest court. Both the jurisprudence and the ethical framework of the Supreme Court could undergo significant transformation, ensuring a legacy that could endure well beyond his administration.
