Dems criticized for threatening Supreme Court.

Republicans Accuse Democrats of Threatening Supreme Court Security in Exchange for Ethics Code

Republican senators, including Sen. Ted Cruz (TX), accused Democrats of attempting to withhold funding for Supreme Court security unless the justices agreed to implement a code of ethics. During a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Supreme Court ethics reform, Cruz claimed that Democrats were making a “threat” by conditioning security funding on the adoption of a new code of conduct.

Concerns Over Separation of Powers

The criticism comes against 15 members of the Democratic Caucus, six of which sit on the judiciary panel, who have floated language to be attached to next year’s Supreme Court funding bill that would require the justices to adopt new procedures for recusals and ethics allegations. Republicans largely believe fulfilling such a request would betray the separation of powers between Congress and the federal judiciary.

Chief Justice John Roberts Declines Testimony

Chief Justice John Roberts declined an invitation by committee Chairman Dick Durbin (D-IL) to testify on Tuesday. Roberts has previously emphasized the need for the judicial branch to have “institutional independence” while suggesting the highest court can be trusted to police itself without the interference of Congress.

Democrats’ Concerns Over Supreme Court Ethics

The Tuesday hearing was inspired largely due to Democrats’ concerns that the justices cannot be trusted to police their own ethics after a series of reports revealed Justice Clarence Thomas accepted lavish travel gifts from a wealthy GOP donor who also purchased a home from the justice. In a rare response last month, Thomas said he was “advised” that he did not have to disclose the trips.

Van Hollen Voices Support for Deal

Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), who leads the appropriations subcommittee charged with writing the annual funding bill for the judiciary, voiced support for the deal in an April 3 interview with the Washington Post. Although Van Hollen’s office did not lay out specifics for the plan, it would likely involve leveraging the roughly 0 million budget request for the 2024 fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1.

Conclusion

The debate over Supreme Court ethics reform continues to be a contentious issue between Democrats and Republicans. While Democrats are pushing for a new code of conduct, Republicans are concerned about the separation of powers and the potential threat to the Supreme Court’s institutional independence.

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