SUPREME COURT TERM LIMITS BILL CO-AUTHORS, REPS. KHANNA AND BEYER, APPLAUD BIDEN’S SUPREME COURT REFORM PLAN

Washington, DC - Today, Representative Ro Khanna (CA-17) and Don Beyer (VA-08), the co-authors of the Supreme Court Term Limits and Regular Appointments Act, released the following statement on President Joe Biden's plan to reform the Supreme Court, as outlined in a new op-ed in the Washington Post.

The Supreme Court Term Limits and Regular Appointments Act,which Reps. Khanna and Beyer first introduced in 2020, would establish 18-year term limits on any Supreme Court Justices approved after the bill is signed into law. After their 18-year terms, justices would then be allowed to continue their service on lower courts.

A 2020 poll from Fix the Court and PSB found that 77% of Americans support restrictions on terms served by Supreme Court justices. Term limits proposals are supported by a range of conservative and liberal legal scholars and elected officials and evenChief Justice John Roberts, Justice Stephen Breyer and Justice Elena Kagan have expressed interest in term limits.

"Public trust in the Supreme Court is at a historic low. Since we first introduced this legislation in 2020, extreme conservatives on the Court have overturned Dobbs, ended Chevron deference, given presidents absolute immunity from criminal prosecution, and some have been exposed for accepting lavish gifts. Term limits and a binding code of ethics will rebalance the Court and rebuild confidence in our institutions. I'm glad to see the administration heed our calls for Supreme Court reform and I'm proud to have led this effort with Rep. Beyer and my colleagues," said Rep. Ro Khanna.

"Rampant, blatant ethics violations and increasing politicization have made it clear that the U.S. Supreme Court is broken - and that reform is urgently needed to restore Americans' faith in the integrity of the Court. I have long supported reforming the Supreme Court to establish term limits and end lifetime tenures to ensure the Court remains a fair and impartial arbiter of justice. I'm glad to see the Biden-Harris administration prioritize the restoration of balance and public trust in our nation's highest Court, and continue to lead efforts to solve this problem in Congress alongside Rep. Khanna," said Rep. Don Beyer.

"The U.S. should be a leader in judicial accountability, not a laggard, and yet every other modern democracy has established term limits or a retirement age for its Supreme Court justices. That deficit means presidents of generations past are placing their stamp on the policy debates of today through the justices they appointed decades ago. Instead, term limits of 18 years will make the institution more reflective of present-day America and will ensure that no single person can exert so much unchecked power for 30 or 35 years, as is the case today," said Gabe Roth, Executive director of Fix The Court.