Biden is pushing for Supreme Court reform. Is it ‘dead on arrival’?
Al Jazeera
Experts say Biden’s efforts reflect growing mainstream support for change, but his proposals likely face insurmountable opposition.
Washington, DC – Calls to reform the United States Supreme Court have been echoing through the political ecosystem for decades, resounding amid scandal and scrutiny over the institution’s perceived political bent.
In the last year alone, two justices were accused of accepting luxury vacations from Republican donors. One was caught flying political flags outside his home — one of many revelations that has led critics to question the impartiality of the conservative-dominated court.
But President Joe Biden’s decision on Monday to propose sweeping reforms to the court marks a turning point, according to experts.
Biden had previously distanced himself from such appeals to overhaul the court. This week’s decision, however, to publicly embrace a slate of reforms signals a shift in mainstream politics.
“Joe Biden is not a radical. He is an institutionalist,” said Devon Ombres, the senior director of courts and legal reform at the Center for American Progress (CAP), an organisation that has long advocated for changes to the court.
