Biden wants to have a big impact on Supreme Court reform

US President Joe Biden wants to have a big impact in the final months of his presidency. He wants to limit the power of the Supreme Court, which has ultra-conservative judges who have now repeatedly blocked progressive policies. “They have an enormous amount of power to declare things unconstitutional,” explains American and expert on US constitutional law Kenneth Manusama.

Among other things, Manusama describes the issues surrounding some of the justices appointed by Republican presidents – especially Donald Trump. “There are a number of justices who have lost their credibility because of trips paid for by billionaires or involvement in the attack on the Capitol. So there is a kind of moral crisis surrounding some of the justices.” This means, according to the American, that “the entire Supreme Court is in a crisis of legitimacy.” “It has been said for years that something has to be done about this.”

conservative power

The American also points out that many of the judges have made rulings, particularly those that have had a positive outcome for Republicans, such as allowing abortion to be treated as a free matter for the states. “These are all statements that make society swing from left to right and back again. So the court has a huge social impact.”

Manusama also stresses that the court must “stay in touch with what is going on in society.” “The court is now very ideologically preoccupied, sometimes also Shaky legal foundationsThis is seen as illegitimate, and is seen as no longer in keeping with the democratic system in the United States.

Sizes

That’s why Biden wants to take action in his final months as president. For example, he wants to end the lifetime appointment that court justices receive. Instead of lifetime appointments, judges should be appointed for a maximum of eighteen years. There should also be a code of conduct to prevent judges from influencing others.

Manusama believes Biden could go further by expanding the court with more justices. “That would significantly weaken the conservative power that currently exists.” Biden, however, is not going that far. “Joe Biden wouldn’t dare do that, and the measures that have been proposed are actually very reasonable,” the American said.