In proposals supported by Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris, Joe Biden calls in particular to limit the tenure of Supreme Court justices to 18 years and also to introduce a code of ethics.
US President Joe Biden announced plans on Monday to reform the Supreme Court, which many consider too politicized, but this urgent approach is unlikely to succeed six months before the end of the Democrat’s term.
In proposals supported by Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris, Joe Biden calls in particular to limit the tenure of Supreme Court justices to 18 years and also to introduce a code of ethics.
Joe Biden, who will reveal his plans on Monday during a speech in Austin, Texas, is also seeking a constitutional amendment to overturn the recent Supreme Court decision supporting Donald Trump’s claim for presidential immunity.
This reform project comes after a series of shock announcements by the court, such as the abolition of the right to abortion at national level and after a series of scandals involving judges who are appointed for life.
According to the US president, there is therefore an urgent need for reform because “no one is above the law. Not the President of the United States. Not a judge on the Supreme Court of the United States. No one.”
“What is happening is not normal and undermines public confidence in the court’s decisions, including those that affect individual liberties,” he said.
The Supreme Court is currently made up of a majority of conservatives – 6 of the 9 justices responsible for ruling on issues ranging from abortion to the environment, and its decisions carry great weight in the lives of Americans.
And this temple of the law was thoroughly revised by Donald Trump: of the six conservative judges, half of them were appointed during the Republican mandate.
According to a recent poll, nearly two-thirds of Americans (63%) believe that the court’s decisions are primarily politically motivated. A majority (54% against 37% of the opposite opinion) disapprove of the way it carries out its mission.
“Election Question”
Kamala Harris said the “grassroots reforms” promoted by President Biden would help “restore trust,” “strengthen democracy” and “ensure that no one is above the law,” in a statement.
But the Republicans who control the House of Representatives assured that the project was “stillborn”. For House Speaker Mike Johnson, this proposal would “shift the balance of power and erode not only the rule of law, but the American people’s confidence in our justice system.”
Lawyer Steven Schwinn also believes that Mr. Biden has a “close to zero” chance of passing this plan before the end of his term, since Congress is so divided.
For him, it’s about “raising public awareness” and “making the Supreme Court an election issue,” added the University of Illinois at Chicago law professor.
Several recent decisions have caused much ink to be spilled. Especially in 2022, when the Court stunned the world by overturning Roe v. Wade of 1973, which established the federal right to abortion. At least 20 states have now introduced full or partial bans on abortion.
This year, the court also significantly reduced the power of federal agencies while partially ruling in favor of Republican candidate Trump’s requests for immunity.
Donald Trump is now using this decision to challenge his recent criminal conviction in New York for hidden payments to an X-rated movie star.
At the same time, the Supreme Court has been rocked by ethical scandals involving very conservative judges.
Judge Clarence Thomas recently admitted that two luxury vacations in 2019 were supported by a billionaire Republican donor.
The 76-year-old Supreme Court dean has also ignored calls to recuse himself from cases related to the 2020 presidential election since his wife joined the campaign to keep Mr. Trump is in power despite his election defeat.
