Kamala Harris comes out in support of Biden Supreme Court reforms

Vice President Kamala Harris has forcefully backed President Joe Biden‘s Supreme Court reforms, citing a “crisis of confidence” in the country’s highest court.

“In the course of our nation’s history, trust in the Supreme Court of the United States has been critical to achieving equal justice under law,” Harris wrote on Monday in a statement. “President Biden and I strongly believe that the American people must have confidence in the Supreme Court. Yet today, there is a clear crisis of confidence facing the Supreme Court as its fairness has been called into question after numerous ethics scandals and decision after decision overturning long-standing precedent.”

Harris’s statement references the Supreme Court’s repeal of abortion precedent Roe v. Wade through Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization and its finding that a president has immunity from criminal prosecution over official acts, among other opinions rendered by the 6-3 Republican-appointed majority. It also references concerns regarding, for instance, Justice Clarence Thomas receiving gifts from Republican megadonor Harlan Crow, a Texas billionaire, including paying for holidays, his mother’s house, and a nephew’s tuition payments.

BIDEN LAYS OUT SUPREME COURT REFORM AGENDA

“That is why President Biden and I are calling on Congress to pass important reforms — from imposing term limits for justices’ active service, to requiring justices to comply with binding ethics rules just like every other federal judge,” Harris wrote. “And finally, in our democracy, no one should be above the law. So we must also ensure that no former president has immunity for crimes committed while in the White House.”

Harris described the reform proposals as “popular,” contending they “will help to restore confidence in the court, strengthen our democracy, and ensure no one is above the law.”

Biden had previewed the recommendations before he was pushed out as the 2024 Democratic nominee by members of his party last week.

“I served as a U.S. senator for 36 years, including as chairman and ranking member of the Judiciary Committee,” the president wrote in his opinion piece on Monday for the Washington Post. “I have overseen more Supreme Court nominations as senator, vice president and president than anyone living today. I have great respect for our institutions and separation of powers.”
 
“What is happening now is not normal, and it undermines the public’s confidence in the court’s decisions, including those impacting personal freedoms,” he added. “We now stand in a breach.”