Two Democratic Representatives are advocating for a bill that would establish term limits for Supreme Court justices. They argue that this is a necessary step to reestablish equilibrium within the court and curb extreme partisan biases, particularly in the wake of recent rulings against the Biden administration.
On Monday, Representatives Ro Khanna from California and Don Beyer from Virginia reintroduced the Supreme Court Term Limits and Regular Appointments Act. This follows a 6-3 decision by the Supreme Court that deemed President Biden’s initiative to forgive student loans as beyond the scope of federal jurisdiction.
This ruling has obstructed the president’s plan to eliminate more than $400 billion in outstanding student loan debt.
“The refusal of the Supreme Court to authorize student loan relief will place a significant number of diligent Americans at risk of financial default, posing a severe threat to our economy,” Khanna stated.
He argued that lifetime appointments were designed by the Founding Fathers to promote impartiality, but recent decisions reveal a growing partisan bias among the justices. Khanna expressed his pride in reintroducing the bill, aiming to install term limits to restore balance and deter extreme partisanship within the court.
The Representatives pointed out that the cost of higher education has tripled since 1980, while federal assistance and wages have lagged behind. Today, student loan borrowers owe over $1.6 million collectively, while many Americans struggle to live paycheck to paycheck.
Beyer observed that for many citizens, the Supreme Court is an enigmatic, unaccountable entity capable of causing significant changes in their lives. “Recent partisan Supreme Court decisions that have eroded longstanding protections for reproductive and voting rights, among others, have shaken public confidence in the Court,” Beyer said. He further noted that questionable financial ties between justices and conservative donors raise concerns about the Court’s integrity.
In another noteworthy ruling, the majority of the Court sided with the Biden administration on the issue of state courts’ authority in electoral matters. Khanna lauded this decision in a tweet, hailing the Supreme Court for preserving free and fair elections.
Last week, President Biden voiced concerns about progressive moves to increase the size of the Supreme Court, stating that it may permanently politicize the institution in an unhealthy way. When questioned about the potential negative impact of the court’s conservative leanings, Biden acknowledged the risk but emphasized his hesitations around the repercussions of court expansion.
