Quick Hit:

President Biden and VP Kamala Harris have unveiled a plan to reform the Supreme Court, sparking immediate backlash from Republicans who see it as a politicization of the judiciary.

Key Details:

• Term Limits and Ethics: The Biden-Harris proposal includes 18-year term limits for Supreme Court Justices and stringent ethics rules to align them with other federal judges.
• Constitutional Amendment: They suggest an amendment to overturn the Court's decision on presidential immunity, alongside rules to limit justices' political activities and mandate conflict of interest recusals.
• Political Responses: The proposal, revealed during Biden's lame-duck period and amid Harris's presidential campaign focus on abortion rights, has been dismissed by many as a strategic move rather than genuine reform effort.

Diving Deeper:

On Monday, President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris unveiled a sweeping plan to reform the Supreme Court. The proposal, which has already been denounced by Republicans as a political maneuver, includes imposing 18-year term limits for justices, enforcing ethics rules, and requiring justices to disclose gifts and avoid political activities.

"President Biden and I are calling on Congress to pass important reforms – from imposing term limits for Justices’ active service, to requiring Justices to comply with binding ethics rules just like every other federal judge," Harris stated. "These popular reforms will help to restore confidence in the Court, strengthen our democracy, and ensure no one is above the law."

The plan also introduces a proposed constitutional amendment to rescind the Supreme Court’s recent decision granting presumed immunity to presidents for their core functions. This move, seen as a response to the Court's controversial decisions, aims to hold the judiciary accountable and transparent.

Despite her involvement in formulating the plan, Harris, 59, has not held any public events to promote it, as she focuses on her presidential campaign. President Biden, who recently endorsed Harris after withdrawing his re-election bid, traveled to the LBJ Presidential Library in Austin, Texas, to advocate for the reforms.

"I’ve made clear how I feel about Kamala and she’s been an incredible partner to me and a champion of surprise throughout her career," Biden remarked. "And she’ll continue to be an inspiring leader and project the very idea of America — the very idea that we’re all created equal and deserve to be treated equally throughout our lives."

Critics, however, have dismissed the proposal as a political stunt rather than a viable legislative effort, especially during Biden's lame-duck period. According to Axios, key Democrats responsible for drafting and advancing the bills were not briefed on the details, indicating the administration's lack of serious commitment to passing the reforms.

Republicans, led by House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), have strongly opposed the plan. "President Biden’s proposal to radically overhaul the U.S. Supreme Court would tilt the balance of power and erode not only the rule of law but the American people’s faith in our system of justice," Johnson said. He emphasized that this effort is part of a broader attempt by the Biden-Harris administration to delegitimize the Court following decisions that Democrats disagree with.

While the proposal is unlikely to pass in the Republican-controlled House, it underscores the ongoing partisan battles over the judiciary's future and sets the stage for further debates in the upcoming election cycle.

"Kamala Harris" by Gage Skidmore licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 DEED.