(Washington) US President Joe Biden is considering reforms to the Supreme Court, the country’s highest court, such as establishing a term limit for judges currently appointed for life or establishing a code of ethics, several US media outlets reported on Tuesday.
The Supreme Court rules on major social issues such as the right to abortion, gun control and the ability of federal agencies to regulate issues such as the environment.
The jurisdiction, currently with a conservative majority, has often been unfavorable to the Democratic camp in recent years.
Biden’s plans also include a constitutional amendment that would overturn the Supreme Court’s recent ruling on presidential immunity, granting the president broad criminal immunity, seen as a victory for Trump.
But such changes require congressional approval, a near-impossible feat given that the House of Representatives currently has a conservative majority.
According to New York TimesThe president, who has long resisted calls to reform the Supreme Court, could announce the outcome of those discussions in the coming weeks, but it was not immediately clear whether it would be part of his agenda for the November election.
During his term (2017-2021), Donald Trump appointed three judges who were close to his ideas. Of the nine judges on the Supreme Court, six are currently conservative, which has led to a series of setbacks for Joe Biden and the Democratic camp.
The court notably annulled the federal right to abortion in 2022.
The Supreme Court has also been mired in a series of ethics scandals.
A flag dating back to the American Revolutionary War that has become a symbol of support for Donald Trump has been spotted on the home of conservative Justice Samuel Alito.
It was notably worn by supporters of the former president during the storming of the Capitol in Washington on January 6, 2021.
Justice Clarence Thomas, for his part, reviewed his financial disclosures after revelations that vacations and private plane trips were paid for by a wealthy conservative political donor.
The Supreme Court is increasingly seen as a partisan institution: 58% of Americans disapprove of the way it carries out its work, according to a Gallup poll.