In a landmark speech at the Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library and Museum in Austin, Texas, President Joe Biden unveiled a comprehensive plan to overhaul the Supreme Court, warning that the country’s courts were being weaponized to push an “extreme and unchecked” conservative agenda in America.
The address, delivered on Monday, marked Biden’s first public engagement since announcing the end of his presidential campaign last week. Originally scheduled to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act, the event became a platform for Biden to outline his vision for reforming the nation’s highest court.
The President’s package, which demands “bold reforms” in an opinion piece for The Washington Post, represents one of the most significant attempts to modify the Supreme Court‘s structure since its inception.
Newsweek contacted Biden’s office via email on Monday for comment.
Biden expressed grave concerns about recent court decisions, particularly regarding presidential immunity. “For all practical purposes, the court’s decision almost certainly means that the president can violate the oath, flout our laws and face no consequences,” he said. “Folks, just imagine what a president could do trampling civil rights and liberties, given such immunity.”
“I believe the best structure is the 18-year term limit that would help ensure the country would not have what it has now: an extreme court,” Biden stated. He described these proposals as “common sense reforms that a vast majority of Americans support.”
Biden also warned about the potential consequences of conservative plans for sweeping policy changes in a potential second Donald Trump administration, known as Project 2025. “They’re serious, man,” he cautioned. “They’re planning another onslaught attacking civil rights in America.”
The President praised landmark legislation passed during the Johnson administration, including the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act, and the Fair Housing Act. “Taken together, these three acts have made this nation fundamentally more fair, fundamentally more just and, most importantly, fundamentally more consistent with our founding principles,” Biden said.
However, he shared concern that recent court decisions had “eviscerated” efforts from affirmative action to voting rights, warning that another Trump presidency would push the court into more extreme territory.
Former President Trump has called the plan to reform “unconstitutional” and “illegal” in a post on Truth Social.
“The Radical Left Democrats are desperately trying to ‘Play the Ref’ by calling for an illegal and unConstitutional attack on our SACRED United States Supreme Court. The reason that these Communists are so despondent is that their unLawful Witch Hunts are failing everywhere,” he wrote.
“The Democrats are attempting to interfere in the Presidential Election, and destroy our Justice System, by attacking their Political Opponent, ME, and our Honorable Supreme Court. We have to fight for our Fair and Independent Courts, and protect our Country. MAGA2024!”
Biden’s proposal faces significant challenges. Speaker Mike Johnson called it “dead on arrival” in the Republican-controlled House. In response, Biden quipped that Johnson’s “thinking is dead on arrival.”
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
