President Joe Biden's endorsement of Supreme Court reforms, including term limits, aligns with the views of most Americans, polls show. (AP File)
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President Joe Biden is set to support measures to reform the U.S. Supreme Court, including an enforceable ethics code and term limits for justices, according to a report from The Washington Post. The move comes amid Democratic outrage over recent court decisions and ethics scandals involving Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas.
Majority of Americans Support Term Limits for Supreme Court Justices
Polls show that term limits for Supreme Court justices are widely supported by Americans, including a majority of Republicans. A Hart Research survey found that 64% of voters, including 51% of Republicans, support term limits. Similarly, an Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll found that 67% of Americans, including 57% of Republicans, would support term limits.
“I know term limits and ethics sounds ‘less radical’ to a lot of people than court expansion,” legal analyst Elie Mystal posted on X (formerly Twitter). “But, as I keep trying to tell you all, the Supreme Court gets to decide if term limits and ethics are constitutional.”
I know term limits and ethics sounds “less radical” to a lot of people than court expansion.
But, as I keep trying to tell you all, the Supreme Court gets to decide if term limits and ethics are constitutional. And so if you don’t expand the court, these other plans will fail.
— Elie Mystal (@ElieNYC) July 16, 2024
Democratic senators have already introduced a bill that would establish 18-year term limits for justices, requiring a new justice to take the bench every two years. After their term, justices would be limited to hearing a small number of constitutionally required cases.
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Uncertainty Remains Over Congressional Support for Reforms
Despite the widespread public support, it remains unclear whether there would be broad backing for Supreme Court term limits in Congress. Biden’s endorsement of reforms comes as the court faces heightened scrutiny from Democrats over recent decisions and ethics issues involving Alito and Thomas.
Read more at MSN.