In a significant move, President Joe Biden has put forth a three-part proposal aimed at reforming the Supreme Court. The proposal includes term limits for justices, a binding ethics code, and a constitutional amendment to hold presidents accountable for crimes committed while in office.
What Happened: Biden's proposed amendment, known as the "No One Is Above the Law Amendment," is a direct response to a recent Supreme Court ruling that granted immunity to former President Donald Trump for "official acts" committed during his presidency, CNBC reported on Monday.
The ethics code proposal comes in the wake of scandals involving Supreme Court justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito, who were implicated in undisclosed financial gifts that raised serious conflict of interest concerns.
After withdrawing from the presidential race and endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris, Biden has stated that Supreme Court reform is a top priority for his remaining time in office. However, these proposals will need congressional approval, a difficult task given the current partisan divide in Congress. A new constitutional amendment, in particular, requires a two-thirds majority approval from both the House and the Senate.
Biden is set to discuss his reform proposals in a speech at the LBJ Presidential Library in Texas later on Monday.
Why It Matters: Biden's reform proposal comes amid increasing pressure from his party to make sweeping changes to the Supreme Court. This follows a series of defeats, including the court's decision to strike down his administration's plan to cancel student debt. The court has significantly shifted towards conservatism following the tenure of former President Donald Trump, who nominated three justices during his time in office.
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This story was generated using Benzinga Neuro and edited by Pooja Rajkumari