(Patriot.Buzz) – Radical change may be on the horizon for the Supreme Court as Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Peter Welch (D-VT) are proposing a constitutional amendment to impose term limits on justices.
See the tweets below.
The proposed amendment, disguised as a measure to “restore faith” in the judicial system, would limit new justices to non-renewable 18-year terms.
This blatant attempt to weaken the Court’s conservative majority would allow presidents to appoint a new justice every two years, potentially reshaping the ideological balance of the Court with each election cycle.
Manchin and Welch claimed their proposal aims to address concerns over the Court’s politicization and restore public confidence.
However, this thinly veiled power grab would only further politicize the judiciary, turning each presidential election into a referendum on the future of the Supreme Court.
Furthermore, the amendment would maintain the current nine-justice limit and include a grandfather clause for sitting justices.
“The current lifetime appointment structure is broken and fuels polarizing confirmation battles and political posturing that has eroded public confidence in the highest court in our land,” Manchin, who is retiring at the end of the year, said in a statement.
His statement reveals the true intent behind this proposal – to appease the radical left and undermine the legitimacy of recent conservative appointments to the Court.
This amendment would pave the way for future liberal presidents to stack the Court with activist judges who legislate from the bench.
While proponents argued that 49 of 50 states already have term limits for their highest courts, they conveniently ignore the unique role of the federal Supreme Court in protecting the constitutional rights from overreach by both state and federal governments.
Welch, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said the measure is intended “to restore public trust in our nation’s most powerful court.”
“Setting term limits for Supreme Court Justices will cut down on political gamesmanship, and is commonsense reform supported by a majority of Americans,” he stated.
Senator Welch’s claim of “cutting down on political gamesmanship” is laughable. This amendment would increase political maneuvering, with each presidential election becoming a battle for control of the Supreme Court.
The stakes would be higher than ever, leading to even more contentious confirmation hearings and political grandstanding.
Fortunately, amending the Constitution requires a two-thirds majority in Congress and ratification by three-fourths of the states.
This high bar should protect America’s judicial system from this misguided and dangerous proposal.
I’m proud to introduce legislation with @SenPeterWelch that would establish 18-year term limits for Justices of the United States Supreme Court. MORE: https://t.co/fSzh606l4a
— Senator Joe Manchin (@Sen_JoeManchin) December 9, 2024
I'm proposing a constitutional amendment to put term limits on the Supreme Court. It will:
—Make the confirmation process less divisive.
—Give more of a voice to the American people.
—Provide presidents the opportunity to nominate two justices each term to the Court.— Senator Peter Welch (@SenPeterWelch) December 9, 2024
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