Biden officially revealed his planned Supreme Court reforms on Monday, aiming to curb the powers of President Trump if he returns to office. Biden outlined his major policy proposals in a Washington Post op-ed, which the paper identified as written by the President of the United States.
Biden proposed three key changes to the Supreme Court, which he described as being in an “ethical crisis.” These changes include imposing term limits and establishing a binding code of conduct for justices.
The primary focus of Biden’s proposal was the Supreme Court’s recent ruling that grants presidents broad immunity for crimes committed while in office. Biden expressed his disapproval of this decision, stating, “This nation was founded on a simple yet profound principle: No one is above the law. Not the president of the United States. Not a justice on the Supreme Court of the United States. No one.”
He emphasized his concern over the court’s 6-3 decision on July 1, which he believes effectively removes constraints on presidential actions. Biden warned, “If a future president incites a violent mob to storm the Capitol and stop the peaceful transfer of power — like we saw on Jan. 6, 2021 — there may be no legal consequences.”
Biden's reforms include the “No One Is Above The Law Amendment” and term limits for Supreme Court justices, suggesting that a new justice should be appointed every two years to serve an 18-year term. He also called for a binding code of conduct for the Supreme Court, arguing that the current voluntary ethics code is inadequate.
“Justices should be required to disclose gifts, refrain from public political activity, and recuse themselves from cases in which they or their spouses have financial or other conflicts of interest,” Biden wrote. “Every other federal judge is bound by an enforceable code of conduct, and there is no reason for the Supreme Court to be exempt.”
Biden asserted that the majority of Americans support these reforms, which aim to prevent the abuse of presidential powers and restore public trust in the Supreme Court.
“We can and must prevent the abuse of presidential power. We can and must restore the public’s faith in the Supreme Court. We can and must strengthen the guardrails of democracy,” Biden concluded. “In America, no one is above the law. In America, the people rule.”
