A substantial majority of Republicans are in favor of President Joe Biden’s proposal for reforming the U.S. Supreme Court, recent polls indicate.
According to a report from The Washington Post, Biden is poised to back various measures aimed at revamping the Supreme Court in response to Democratic concerns regarding recent rulings and ethical controversies. The proposed reforms include implementing an enforceable ethics code for the court and establishing term limits for justices.
Most Americans, including a majority of voters from both major political parties, support the idea of imposing term limits on Supreme Court justices, as revealed by polls. Currently, justices hold their positions for life or until they voluntarily retire.
A survey conducted by Hart Research earlier this year found that 64 percent of voters are in favor of term limits for Supreme Court justices. Among Democrats, the percentage is 78, while it stands at 59 among independents and 51 among Republicans.
The poll surveyed 1,202 registered voters between March 20 and March 24, 2024, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.2 percentage points.
Another survey by the 2022 Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found broad support for term limits, with 67 percent of Americans backing the idea, including 82 percent of Democrats and 57 percent of Republicans.
This poll involved 1,085 U.S. adults surveyed from July 14 to July 17, 2022, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.9 percentage points.
Despite the positive reception from Republicans, Biden’s plan does not include expanding the court, a move some more progressive Democrats advocate to offset the conservative majority. Biden’s reluctance stems from concerns that such a step could lead to future administrations also increasing the number of justices.
Legal analyst Elie Mystal expressed skepticism about the effectiveness of term limits and ethics reforms without expanding the court’s size, emphasizing the court’s authority to assess the constitutionality of such changes.
Constitutional law professor Anthony Michael Kreis suggested alternate paths for implementing term limits, such as offering generous retirement terms contingent on immediate retirement after 18 years of service.
Several Democratic senators have introduced a bill to establish term limits for justices, requiring a new justice to join the bench every two years and serve for 18 years before transitioning to a reduced caseload.
While term limits for Supreme Court justices enjoy widespread voter support, their acceptance in Congress remains uncertain. Biden’s endorsement of SCOTUS term limits follows increased scrutiny on the justices for recent rulings and ethical lapses.
In one recent controversial decision, the court ruled that former President Donald Trump had complete immunity for official acts in a federal election interference case, igniting Democratic criticism and legal scrutiny.
Further, Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas faced backlash for not recusing themselves from cases due to perceived conflicts of interest, intensifying calls for judicial reform.
Alito was subject to recusal demands after his wife displayed a pro-Trump symbol outside their home, while Thomas faced similar requests over his wife’s alleged involvement in efforts to contest President Biden’s Electoral College victory.
Thomas also encountered scrutiny for accepting undisclosed gifts from a GOP donor but maintained compliance with reporting guidelines at the time, refuting any wrongdoing.