While many have been critical of the Supreme Court and its majority right-leaning justices, a new report suggests that President Biden is considering publicly endorsing term limits and other reforms for the highest court in the land.
The report comes from the Washington Post, citing sources familiar with the decision, and the report says that Biden is planning to announce his endorsement for several different reforms for the Supreme Court. These would include the end to lifetime appointments, an ethics code that would contain an enforcement mechanism, and more.
If Biden comes forward with criticism for the court, it would make him the first sitting president in decades to back seismic changes to how it operates.
Liberal lawmakers and activists have been calling for changes to how the court is run for years now, and the support of Biden could carry weight amongst lawmakers.
A report from CNN shared that Biden alluded to his endorsement for the reform on a call with members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus over the weekend. Biden reportedly said that major reforms were likely coming, but he was still discussing plans with constitutional lawyers. Specific details were not shared.
Along with his support for this, the report says Biden is also considering whether or not he should push for a constitutional amendment that would reverse the ruling from the court earlier this month that gives presidents immunity for some actions they take while in office.
The push for reform of the Supreme Court comes amidst a time of controversy surrounding at least two of the justices, Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito.
Earlier this month, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) filed articles of impeachment against Alito and Thomas over their roles in two separate scandals that she says were unethical and deserve their removal from the court.
In the resolution filed against Thomas, AOC claims he engaged in high crimes and misdemeanors by failing to report travel accommodations and tuition for his grandnephew that was gifted to him by a conservative mega-donor. The measure contains three articles of impeachment and accuses Thomas of undermining the court’s “impartiality and integrity” by accepting the gifts and failing to disclose them in his annual financial reports.
The resolution filed against Alito contains two articles. It stems from a recent controversy over flags that were flown outside two of his residences that were connected with the “Stop the Steal” movement following the 2020 election.
However, the impeachment process is not expected to move out of the House as it would require Republicans to join Democrats to pass.