President Biden is reportedly planning to endorse major changes to the U.S. Supreme Court, including proposals for legislation to establish term limits for the justices and an enforceable ethics code, as growing outage continues following a series of controversial decisions.
The Washington Post first reported the changes, citing two people briefed on the plans.
Biden has long resisted changes to the high court, but his supporters have continued to call for reform following ethics scandals surrounding Justice Clarence Thomas and decisions by the court majority on issues including abortion and federal regulatory powers.
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“I’m going to need your help on the Supreme Court, because I’m about to come out — I don’t want to prematurely announce it — but I’m about to come out with a major initiative on limiting the court … I’ve been working with constitutional scholars for the last three months, and I need some help,” Biden said, according to a transcript of a call obtained by The Washington Post.
Many of the changes would need congressional approval. The Post also reported that Biden was weighing whether to call for a constitutional amendment to eliminate broad immunity for presidents and other constitutional officeholders.
Days after Biden debated former President Trump last month, the high court ruled that Trump was immune from prosecution for official acts during his first term in office.
“This decision today has continued the court’s attack in recent years on a wide range of long-established legal principles in our nation, from gutting voting rights and civil rights to taking away a woman’s right to choose, to today’s decision that undermines the rule of law of this nation,” Biden said in public remarks later that day.
