WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released the following reaction to President Biden’s proposed Supreme Court reforms announced today:
“President Biden’s proposed reforms would do what Chief Justice Roberts has failed to do time and time again—get this Court in order. Decades of ethical violations and a blatant disregard for judicial precedent have eroded the public’s trust in the Supreme Court, and today that trust is at an all-time low. Compounding these ethical concerns, this activist Supreme Court has stripped away constitutional rights and pushed a political agenda at the behest of far-right extremists. The actions of this Court have threatened the foundation of our democracy—and make President Biden’s proposals as urgent as they are necessary.
“Holding those who serve on the Supreme Court to the highest moral and ethical standards is far from a new idea—I have joined Vermonters in calling for these reforms for years. The Court’s flimsy attempt at self-policing with an unenforceable code of conduct has been an abject failure. The Court needs to be reformed, now.
“I sincerely hope my colleagues across the aisle will put politics aside and agree with these commonsense reforms. Holding the Supreme Court to the highest possible standard only strengthens our judiciary, and it is time we all share that goal.”
President Biden’s plan to reform the Supreme Court includes:
- No Immunity for Crimes a Former President Committed in Office: President Biden is calling for a constitutional amendment that states the Constitution doesn’t give a former President a free pass for crimes he or she commits while serving in the White House, and would not be immune from a federal criminal indictment, trial, conviction or sentencing.
- Term Limits for Supreme Court Justices: President Biden’s plan would place 18-year term limits on Supreme Court justices, and every president would appoint a Justice every two years to serve their 18-year term;
- Binding Code of Conduct for the Supreme Court: President Biden’s plan would encourage Congress to pass an enforceable and binding code of conduct and ethics rules, just as every other federal judge adheres to today.
Senator Welch is a cosponsor of the Supreme Court Ethics, Recusal, and Transparency Act of 2023, which the Judiciary Committee advanced this summer with unanimous Democratic support, but Senate Republicans blocked the bill. The legislation requires the Supreme Court to adopt a binding code of conduct, establish a mechanism to investigate breaches of that code, recuse themselves when they have conflicts of interest in cases, and disclose gifts and income, among other provisions.
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