On Monday, President Joe Biden called for major changes to be made to the Supreme Court. These changes would include legislation that would limit justices’ terms to 18 years and enforce a code of ethics.
In response to the Supreme Court’s decision this month that former President Donald Trump is protected from criminal prosecution for actions taken in his “official” capacity as president, Biden formally announced his support in an address Monday afternoon at the Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library to mark the 60th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act.
New Constitutional Amendment
Biden supported the passage of a new constitutional amendment that would limit presidents’ immunity.
He stated: “I have great respect for our institutions, the separation of powers laid out in our Constitution. What’s happening now is not consistent with that doctrine of separation of powers. Extremism is undermining the public’s confidence in the Court’s decisions.”
Seismic Shift
The moves mark a seismic shift for Biden, who had recently opposed an overhaul of the structure of the country’s highest court.
Despite the fact that he’s at this point not a competitor himself, Biden is making the country’s high court a focal issue for his last half year as president − and giving VP Kamala Harris, the new presumptive Democratic nominee, a controversial subject to hit on the campaign trail and empower progressive citizens and others becoming more and more incredulous of the court.
Larger Supreme Court
However, Biden refrained from advocating for a larger Supreme Court, a proposal that is well-liked by progressives as a means of reversing the current conservative majority.
The Supreme Court ruled earlier this month that presidents cannot be prosecuted for “official acts” while in office. The Justice Department’s case against former President Donald Trump over his efforts to overturn the 2020 election was the basis for the court’s decision. Presidents can in any case be prosecuted for unofficial criminal behavior, the court dominated.
Consitutional Rights
The “No One Is Above the Law Amendment” will outline that the Constitution doesn’t provide immunity from federal criminal indictment, trial, conviction or sentencing by righteousness of having been president.
In a letter, Biden, who served as a senator in the United States for 36 years, stated that he had overseen more Supreme Court nominations as president, vice president, and senator than anyone else alive today.
“Nation of Laws”
During his speech at the Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library, Biden specifically criticized the recent Supreme Court decision that said only “official” presidential actions are protected.
“We’re a nation of laws. Not kings and dictators,” Biden stated
Divided Congress
None of the regulative recommendations, be that as it may, have a reasonable possibility passing in a divided Congress. To prevent a Republican filibuster, the measures would require 60 votes in the Senate.
Harris, who is on target to officially be named the Democratic nominee one month from now, said in an release Monday that she upholds the proposed changes in light of the fact that the High Court faces a “clear crisis of confidence” from the American public.
Harris’ Statement
“In the course of our Nation’s history, trust in the Supreme Court of the United States has been critical to achieving equal justice under law. President Biden and I strongly believe that the American people must have confidence in the Supreme Court,” Harris stated.
“These popular reforms will help to restore confidence in the Court, strengthen our democracy, and ensure no one is above the law.”
Johnson’s Response
Republicans were quick to reject the proposal from the president. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said in a release that the amendments would be “dead on arrival in the House.”
He said his statement, “It is telling that Democrats want to change the system that has guided our nation since its founding simply because they disagree with some of the Court’s recent decisions.”
Supreme Court Decisions
Biden’s move is a salvo by the Democratic president in the midst of an undeniably tense relationship with a 6-3 conservative Supreme Court that has angered the left with recent decisions.
These include overturning the decision that made abortion lawful across the country, terminating affirmative action in college admissions, preventing Biden’s activity in cancelling student loan debt and restricting federal authority to combat environmental change.
Precedents
While Biden only appointed Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, Trump appointed three justices to the court.
Congress approved term limits when it comes to the presidency over 75 years ago and Biden claims that it should be the same for the Supreme Court.
Term Limits
Term limits would assist with guaranteeing that the court’s participation changes with some consistency and diminish the opportunity that any single administration forces unnecessary impact for a period of generations, he says.
Biden said he upholds a framework wherein the president would select a justice every two years to spend 18 years in active service on the court.
A binding code of conduct for the high court is included in the third proposed change.
