Democrats are ramping up calls for Supreme Court reforms after end-of-term rulings that undermined left-wing policies like race-based college admissions and student loan forgiveness.
The Congressional Progressive Caucus, which includes over 100 lawmakers, called for expanding the Supreme Court over the weekend. Democratic members of congress also amplified calls for reforms such as term limits and implementing a code of ethics after the Supreme Court handed down its final decisions of the term last week, finding race-based admissions policies unconstitutional, striking down Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan and backing a Christian web designer’s First Amendment rights.
Representatives Ro Khanna of California and Don Beyer of Virginia reintroduced The Supreme Court Term Limits and Regular Appointments Act, a bill that would impose 18-year term limits on the justices, on Friday after the Supreme Court struck down President Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan.
Democratic representatives Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, Adam Schiff of California, Katie Porter of California, Sean Casten of Illinois and John Garamendi of California also backed the bill. (RELATED: ‘Not A Normal Court’: Biden Undermines Legitimacy Of Supreme Court)
“We cannot allow six extremist, unelected activists to continue to do the bidding of billionaire Republican donors from the bench,” Rep. Rashida Tlaib said in a statement. “This illegitimate Supreme Court has become a cesspool of corruption and is in urgent need of reform. It’s time to end lifetime appointments to the Supreme Court.”
Schiff also backed packing the Supreme Court.
“Expanding the size of the Supreme Court isn’t extreme or unprecedented — but the opinions of this Court certainly are,” he tweeted Friday.
While President Biden has joined Democratic members of Congress in denouncing recent opinions, he has declined to back pushes for reform, according to the Washington Post.
In response to a reporter’s question during his Thursday press conference on the affirmative action ruling, Biden said “this is not a normal court.” But he clarified on MSNBC Thursday that expanding the Supreme Court would “politicize it maybe forever in a way that is not healthy, that you can’t get back.”
Democratic New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez told CNN Sunday that Congress should consider subpoenas, investigations and impeachment.
“These are the types of rulings that signal a dangerous creep toward authoritarianism and centralization of power in the Court,” Ocasio-Cortez said on CNN Sunday. “In fact, we have members of the court themselves with Justice Elena Kagan saying that the court is beginning to assume the power of a legislature.”
Expanding the size of the Supreme Court isn’t extreme or unprecedented — but the opinions of this Court certainly are.
— Adam Schiff (@AdamSchiff) June 30, 2023
Chuck Schumer promised Friday to “not back down” after the “MAGA” Supreme Court’s student loan decision.
Calls to pack the Supreme Court also escalated last year after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. In May, Planned Parenthood announced its support for court packing and term limits.
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