by Nolan Mckendry
President Joe Biden is considering formally endorsing Supreme Court reforms, including term limits for judges and an enforceable code of ethics, the Washington Post reported.
Such reforms reflect growing frustration among Democrats and Joe Biden supporters over recent controversies involving Justice Clarence Thomas and Justice Samuel Alito, as well as landmark rulings by the conservative majority on the Supreme Court.
Biden is also reportedly considering a constitutional amendment that would seek to eliminate broad immunity for presidents and other individuals exercising constitutional office.
“I’m going to need your help on the Supreme Court because I’m going to come out — I don’t want to announce this prematurely — but I’m going to come out with a major initiative on limiting the court. … I’ve been working with constitutionalists for three months, and I need your help,” Biden reportedly said during a recent conversation, according to a transcript obtained by The Washington Post.
The proposed reforms would require congressional approval, a significant hurdle given the current political landscape. With a Republican-controlled House and a narrow Democratic majority in the Senate, reaching the necessary 60 votes in the Senate seems daunting.
An even greater challenge is introducing a constitutional amendment, requiring two-thirds support in both houses or a convention of two-thirds of the states and then ratification by three-fourths of the state legislatures.
Those rumors are bolstered by the Supreme Court’s June decision to grant former President Donald Trump presumptive immunity from prosecution for official actions, making it even more hard to secure a conviction related to the Jan. 6 Capitol riot or Trump’s efforts to recruit an alternative group of electors.
“Today’s decision continues the court’s attacks in recent years on a broad range of long-established legal principles in our country, from disenfranchisement and civil rights to the denial of women’s right to choose, to today’s decision that undermines the rule of law in this country,” Biden said after the ruling was announced.
Since 2020, approval ratings for the Supreme Court have fallen below 50%, according to Gallup polls. One of the most notable controversies was when a conservative majority overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022.
Biden mentioned these upcoming reforms during a call with members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus last weekend, a source told CNN.
In response to criticism, the nine justices published a code of ethics in November, but in the wake of recent rulings and continued controversy, critics of the court, most of whom are unhappy about losing their liberal majority, are unlikely to be satisfied.
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Nolan Mckendry is a contributor Central Square.
Photo “Joe Biden” by President Joe Biden. Background Photo “Supreme Court” by United States Supreme Court.
