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  Marieke de Vries

  American reporter

President Joe Biden wants to reform the US Supreme Court. In a letter to the Washington Post and during a speech in Austin, Texas, he says potential abuses of power by presidents must be curbed. He also wants to restore faith in the judiciary.

The Supreme Court, America’s highest legal body that tests unconstitutional laws and rulings, has been criticized for some time.

Biden says America was founded on the principle that no one is above the law, but following the July 1 Supreme Court ruling, he is freed from much of what he would do as president. The highest body of law says that a president is exempt for “official acts” during his term of office and this does not apply to “non-official acts”.

Biden wants to make three changes to the Supreme Court. First, he proposes a “no man above the law” amendment to the Constitution, which would establish that presidents are not immune from actions in office. Biden agrees with the nation’s founders: “We are a nation of laws, not kings or dictators.”

But amending the constitution is not easy. It requires a two-thirds majority in both the House of Representatives and the Senate. After that, all 38 states have to agree to it.

Biden also believes that the tenure of Supreme Court justices should be 18 years. Now they are ordained for life. Such a term limit should prevent a president from radically changing the political complexion of the court for an entire generation, Biden writes.

Trump appointed three conservative justices to the Supreme Court in his first and only term. Biden calls some of their statements, such as rolling back the national right to abortion, dangerous and radical.

In a speech in Austin, Biden said no one should be above the law:

Finally, Biden calls for a binding code of conduct for Supreme Court justices to adhere to. “Judges must be transparent about donations, stay away from political activities and not hear cases in which they or their spouses have financial or other interests. Other federal courts already have such rules of conduct.

The Supreme Court has come under fire for some time now. Including news of Judge Clarence Thomas’ sweet travels, being paid off by a billionaire and his wife Ginny Thomas being involved in preventing a transfer of power on January 6, 2021.

Riots erupted after an American flag was hung upside down over another conservative judge who went on luxury trips with conservative donors who have court cases. from one Read earlier this year It shows that 60% of Americans disapprove of the Supreme Court’s actions. Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris supports Biden’s proposals.

Biden’s proposals are seen as an attempt to convince undecided voters. If Democrats win majorities in the House and Senate in November, the amendments will have a better chance of changing the Constitution, even if it is more difficult.

Critics see it as an attempt to politicize an independent agency. Mike Johnson, the Republican speaker of the House of Representatives, immediately rejected the reforms: “These proposals are hopeless. Democrats want to change the system that runs our country from the ground up because they don’t agree with some recent statements.”

Lyndon B. During a speech celebrating Johnson’s signing of the Civil Rights Act in 1964, Biden said the current Supreme Court was undermining citizens’ basic rights. By infringing on their privacy, for example, it makes it possible for states to restrict their right to vote.

He warned against terrorism Make America Great AgainThe movement ended his speech by looking ahead to 2026, when America will have achieved 250 years of independence. Biden asked the audience, “Imagine that moment and ask yourself; Who do we want to be?”