In a move seen as rather inconceivable in American political order, POTUS Joe Biden on Friday proposed a new set of plans reforming the Supreme Court. The announcement shook the country and became one of the most debatable issues, to say the least; many are keenly waiting for what will be a resultant affair.
The Supreme Court is the highest court in the land. There are numerous important issues it has the last word on. The decisions may define what the country can and cannot do for many years to come. Of late, concern over the composition and functionality of the Court has been growing. Many people feel that the reforms are necessary.
Why Reform Is Necessary
They have a few reasons that they wish for the reformation of the Supreme Court. First and foremost, it has become way too polarized. The judges often split ideologically. This makes them believe that the Court is not fair.
Second, the process of appointing judges has been so politicized. For the past several decades, the Senate has fought hard for the confirmation of new judges. These fights lowered the public’s trust in the Court.
Third, many believe that lifetime terms are a problem for judges. They believe that judges should not serve for life. They feel that this leads to a lack of accountability.
Biden’s Reform Plans
President Biden has outlined a number of remedies to these problems. Most interestingly, among his several forms of redress, he becomes the rebalancing of the court with more fair-minded justices than the current nine.
Court-packing
Among the many points that Biden has put forward is expanding the number of Supreme Court justices. Currently, there are nine. According to Biden, more should be added. This would not only potentially lessen the impact any one justice could have but also ensure the Court is more representative of the many different views held across the country.
Term Limits for Justices
Another top priority proposal would establish term limits for Supreme Court justices. Instead of receiving a lifetime appointment, a Supreme Court justice would serve a certain number of years. Biden has mentioned 18 years. But a justice could move on to another court when their term ended — so the experience and expertise aren’t lost.
Butt Biden would also like to make changes in the structure for appointing Justices, so the process is less political. He wants an independent commission, like a non-partisan committee that recommends people of worth and merit.
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Another critical aspect of Biden’s agendas is opening up the Supreme Court. He is interested in such insights on their decisions, including explaining in plain words the reasons for their decisions. Biden claims that this will help the public understand and therefore trust decisions from the Court.
Public Reaction
The public reaction to Biden’s plans appears mixed. There are those persons who have reacted in favor of these reforms. They believe that the changes will restore faith once more in the Supreme Court. According to them, the reforms will bring more balance and fairness to the Court.
Others, however, are against these reforms. They believe increasing the number of justices is not a good idea. They were concerned that this would lead to “court-packing”—this situation would mean that each party, upon coming into power, would be able to add more justices, and in turn, making the Court even more political.
Others are also worried about the issue of tenure. Lots of people think that lifetime appointments make it possible for judges to be more independent. They are scared that with term limits, judges will easily give in to political pressures.
The proposals by Biden are politically momentous—for a time when the country has never been more divided. The reforms can change the balance of power in the Supreme Court, probably tipping the balance on most important issues: abortion, gun rights, and healthcare.
Many of Biden’s proposals will face opposition from Republicans, who believe the system is currently working fine and that such reforms could undermine the authority of the Supreme Court. Democrats feel more for it, thinking the reforms are necessary for making the Court more balanced and thus fair.
Next Steps
These are just some of Biden’s proposals, and for them to become reforms, they will have to be sanctioned by Congress. The avenues that open for a lot of argument are abundant. It will take a long time before consensus can finally be achieved.
In the meanwhile, Biden has constituted a commission to deliberate on the Supreme Court. The committee shall consider a number of possibilities in reforms and take ideas from members of the public, as well as legal experts. Its findings will help determine next steps.
Conclusion
The plans laid down by President Joe Biden for reforming the Supreme Court are bold and ambitious, hoping to regain the faith that was lost over the long-time court. Proposals set in huge debate among people, pulling very hard from both sides.
The argument still subsists, but clearly enough, any decision taken by the Supreme Court is going to leave a mark on the nation for very many years to come. Forward remains undefined; however, the fact stands undeniably clear: the fight over reform to the Supreme Court is not over.
