Biden's decision follows pressure from liberal groups and controversy surrounding justices accepting travel from conservative mega donors.
President Joe Biden is considering endorsing Supreme Court reforms including term limits and an ethics code with enforcement mechanism.
Proposed changes come in response to criticism of recent Supreme Court decisions on federal regulatory power, criminal prosecution of former presidents, and abortion rights.
President Joe Biden is considering endorsing significant reforms to the Supreme Court, including term limits and an ethics code with enforcement mechanism. This marks a shift for Biden, who previously led the Judiciary Committee in the Senate. The proposed changes come as the Supreme Court has faced criticism for its recent decisions on issues such as federal regulatory power, criminal prosecution of former presidents, and abortion rights.
According to reports from various news outlets including CNN, Common Dreams, NPR, and CBS News, Biden is planning to publicly back these changes. The proposed reforms include legislation for 18-year term limits for Supreme Court justices and a mandatory ethics code with enforcement mechanism. However, any plans would require approval from Congress.
Biden's decision to endorse Supreme Court reform comes after pressure from liberal groups during the 2020 election and following the court's controversial decisions in recent years. The high court has dismantled constitutional rights such as abortion and rejected affirmative action for higher education. Some justices, including Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito, have faced ethics investigations for accepting travel and lodging from conservative mega donors.
Progressive groups are hoping to use the Supreme Court reform issue to motivate voters in November, focusing on helping Democrats hold onto the White House, retaining control of the Senate, and flipping the House. However, some critics argue that Biden's decision is a sign of desperation as he faces calls from members of his own party to step down from the race.
President Biden is considering proposals to reform the Supreme Court, including measures to establish term limits for justices and an enforceable ethics code.
Biden’s expected support for changes to the Supreme Court marks a shift for him, who previously led the Judiciary Committee in Senate.
The president revealed his plans during a call with Congressional Progressive Caucus on Saturday.
Any plans would require approval from Congress.
President Biden came under pressure from liberal groups during the 2020 election to endorse reforms to the Supreme Court, including adding more seats to its current nine.
The commission studying proposals to change the high court did not recommend structural changes but endorsed adoption of a code of ethics for Supreme Court justices.
The Supreme Court has come under scrutiny in recent weeks as it handed down a slew of high-profile decisions, including reversing a 40-year-old decision to curtail federal regulatory power and finding that former presidents are entitled to immunity from federal prosecution for official acts taken while in office.
Two years ago, the high court dismantled the constitutional right to abortion and last year rejected affirmative action for higher education.
Republican Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse and Ron Wyden have separately asked Attorney General Merrick Garland to name a special counsel to investigate whether Justice Thomas violated any federal tax or ethics laws when he accepted travel and lodging from Harlan Crow.
Progressive groups are hoping to use the Supreme Court to motivate voters in November, focusing on helping Democrats hold onto the White House, retaining control of the Senate and flipping the House.
Accuracy
Biden's expected support for changes to the Supreme Court marks a shift for him, who previously led the Judiciary Committee in Senate.
Deception
(100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Fallacies
(95%)
The article contains an appeal to authority when it mentions the Washington Post being the first to report Mr. Biden's expected support for changes to the Supreme Court. Additionally, there are several instances of inflammatory rhetoric used by President Biden towards former President Trump and the Supreme Court's decisions.
President Biden is considering a series of proposals to reform the Supreme Court, including measures to establish term limits for justices and an enforceable ethics code, CBS News has learned.
It's not hyperbole to suggest Trump is literally an existential threat, an existential threat to the very Constitution of democracy we, we say we care about.
The president came under pressure from liberal groups during the 2020 election to endorse reforms to the Supreme Court, including adding more seats to its current nine. Mr. Biden declined to back so-called court-packing and instead created a commission to study proposals to change the high court, which approved and submitted its final report to him in December 2021.
The landmark decision on presidential immunity has significant ramifications for the case brought against former President Donald Trump by special counsel Jack Smith and further delays the start of a criminal trial in Washington, D.C. The former president has pleaded not guilty to four federal charges.
Rep Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez introduced articles of impeachment against the two conservative justices last week, though they’re all-but-certain to die in the Republican-led House.
Bias
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The authors express a clear bias towards the liberal perspective on Supreme Court reforms and ethics. They repeatedly mention Democratic senators' calls for investigations into justices' ethics practices and their support for legislation to reform the court. They also quote Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez introducing articles of impeachment against conservative justices, which are all-but-certain to die in the Republican-led House.
Democratic Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse and Ron Wyden have separately asked Attorney General Merrick Garland to name a special counsel to investigate whether Thomas violated any federal tax or ethics laws when he accepted travel and lodging from Crow.
Rep Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez introduced articles of impeachment against the two conservative justices last week, though they’re all-but-certain to die in the Republican-led House.
President Biden is reportedly planning to endorse major changes to the Supreme Court, including proposals for legislation to establish term limits for the justices and an enforceable ethics code.
Several members of the Democratic Party have called on Biden to leave the race since his disastrous first debate against Trump in June. So far, 18 House Democrats and one Senate Democrat have publicly called on Biden to step down.
Accuracy
President Biden is considering proposals to reform the Supreme Court, including measures to establish term limits for justices and an enforceable ethics code.
Biden's expected support for changes to the Supreme Court marks a shift for him, who previously led the Judiciary Committee in Senate.
Legislation introduced by House Democrats would impose 18-year term limits on Supreme Court justices.
Deception
(20%)
The author, Lindsay Kornick, makes editorializing statements and uses emotional manipulation by implying that President Biden is desperate and playing to the left. She also engages in selective reporting by only mentioning the calls for Biden to leave the race from Democrats without providing any context or balance.
The former Meet the Press host remarked how the Republican Party seems to be more united under former President Trump while Democrats are struggling under Biden.
Look at the desperation in the air for Joe Biden right now.
All of the sudden, out of nowhere, he’s trying to do a Supreme Court reform for another way of playing to the left.
He pointed to Biden reportedly caving to progressive candidates by endorsing sweeping reforms of the judicial branch.
Fallacies
(85%)
The author, Lindsay Kornick, makes an appeal to authority fallacy by quoting Chuck Todd's opinion on Biden's actions being a sign of desperation. The author also uses inflammatory rhetoric by describing the Democratic Party as 'struggling' under Biden and using the word 'desperation'.
"Look at the desperation in the air for Joe Biden right now,"
"All of the sudden, out of nowhere, he's trying to do a Supreme Court reform for another way of playing to the left,"
Bias
(50%)
The author, Lindsay Kornick, expresses a clear bias towards the Democratic Party and President Biden in this article. She quotes Chuck Todd making derogatory comments about Biden's supposed desperation and playing to the left by considering Supreme Court reform. The author also mentions that Biden is reportedly planning to support these reforms due to pressure from progressive members of his party, implying a negative connotation towards them.
because right now his biggest supporters are progressives. Because those that are in swing districts, they want him off [the ticket]
I'm going to need your help on the Supreme Court, because I'm about to come out – I don’t want to prematurely announce it – but I’m about to come out with a major initiative on limiting the court
Look at the desperation in the air for Joe Biden right now
So far, 18 House Democrats and one Senate Democrat have publicly called on Biden to step down
President Joe Biden is preparing to endorse Supreme Court reforms that include term limits and a binding code of ethics for justices.
Legislation introduced by House Democrats would impose 18-year term limits on Supreme Court justices.
Biden has dismissed more ambitious proposals to overhaul the Supreme Court, including adding more justices to the bench.
Accuracy
Biden’s plan, which requires congressional approval, may not satisfy progressive advocates or Democratic lawmakers who call for high court expansion.
Deception
(100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Fallacies
(100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Bias
(95%)
The article expresses a clear bias towards the idea of Supreme Court reforms and criticizes the current state of the Supreme Court under right-wing justices. The author quotes various sources advocating for term limits and ethics codes for Supreme Court justices, as well as criticizing President Biden for not going far enough in his proposed reforms.
Even in the aftermath of rulings that have directly undercut his agenda–such as the high court’s decision last year to block his student debt cancellation plan–Biden has dismissed more ambitious proposals to overhaul the Supreme Court, including adding more justices to the bench.
In the wake of rulings that have significantly weakened the regulatory authority of federal agencies, backed the criminalization of homelessness, and granted U.S. presidents sweeping immunity from criminal prosecution
The president, who is facing calls to drop his reelection campaign, has consistently opposed Supreme Court expansion
Trump appointed half of the Supreme Court’s right-wing supermajority during his first four years in the White House, paving the way for the overturning of Roe v. Wade and other hugely consequential decisions.
