Biden to announce support for major Supreme Court reforms, Washington Post reports

[July 17, 2024]  (Reuters) -U.S. President Joe Biden is preparing to propose a major Supreme Court overhaul in the coming week that would include term limits for justices and an enforceable ethics code, the Washington Post reported on Tuesday citing two sources familiar with the plans.  

The United States Supreme Court building is seen in Washington, U.S., February 29, 2024. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein/File Photo

Biden is also weighing whether to call for a constitutional amendment to eliminate broad presidential immunity, the Post reported

During a call with the Congressional Progressive Caucus on Saturday, Biden said there would be some form of Supreme Court reform that he will be unveiling or seeking, according to a source familiar with the discussion. He provided no specifics during that call.

Biden has previously shunned calls to overhaul the top court by implementing term limits or by expanding the number of seats on the bench. Some Democrats have made calls for the changes following former President Donald Trump's appointment of three conservative justices. Any such reform would need Congressional support.

Trump, who is set to formally accept the Republican Party's presidential nomination on Thursday, will face Biden in the Nov. 5 election in a repeat of the 2020 contest.

In October, a bipartisan group of legal experts expressed their support for 18-year term limits for Supreme Court justices as a way to deter partisanship and improve the judiciary's reputation.

(Reporting by Tyler Clifford; Editing by Caitlin Webber and Daniel Wallis)

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