President Joe Biden published an op-ed in the Washington Post Monday explaining his proposal to make major changes to the U.S. Supreme Court, calling for a Constitutional amendment to “ensure no president is above the law.”
“[T]he Supreme Courts decision on July 1 to grant presidents broad immunity from prosecution for crimes they commit in office means there are virtually no limits on what a president can do,” Biden wrote. “The only limits will be those that are self-imposed by the person occupying the Oval Office.”
“If a future president incites a violent mob to storm the Capitol and stop the peaceful transfer of power – like we saw on Jan. 6, 2021 – there may be no legal consequences,” Biden continued.
Biden’s proposal includes imposing term limits on Supreme Court justices, establishing a mandatory ethics code, and enacting a Constitutional amendment to eliminate presidential immunity from criminal prosecution for crimes committed while in office.
The amendment, named the “No One Is Above the Law Amendment,” would address the Supreme Court’s recent controversial decision in July, which ruled that former President Donald Trump is immune from criminal prosecution for “official acts” carried out during his presidency.
Rumors began of Biden’s intent to attempt to propose the changes following his campaign-imploding performance in the first presidential debate.
Biden’s suggested ethics code follows controversies involving Supreme Court Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito, who reportedly had their way paid on luxury vacations with friends.
“All three of these reforms are supported by a majority of Americans – as well as conservative and liberal constitutional scholars,” Biden continues. “We can and must prevent the abuse of presidential power. We can and must restore the public’s faith in the Supreme Court. We can and must strengthen the guardrails of democracy.”
Aside from the ruling on presidential immunity, the conservative-majority court has done much to annoy Democrats in recent years. The court struck down federally protected abortion in a June 2022 decision, upheld bans on homeless encampments, and struck down Biden’s student-loan forgiveness program.
