Blitz Bureau
President Joe Biden called for reforms to the Supreme Court in a speech at the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum in Austin, Texas, to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act.
“We need a mandatory code of ethics for the Supreme Court, and we need it now,” he told the audience on July 29. “Today, I’m calling for three bold reforms to restore trust and accountability to the court.”
Reversing immunity for presidents
Biden outlined his proposed reforms, including one potential constitutional amendment: 18-year term limits for justices, a binding code of conduct, and an amendment to reverse the recent ruling that gives presidents immunity for official acts while in office.
He said the 18-year limit was proposed by a bipartisan commission that analysed various term limit structures. The code of conduct would require justices to disclose gifts, refrain from public political activity, and recuse themselves from cases in which they or their spouses have a financial or other conflict of interest.
“Fellow Americans, based on all my experience, I’m certain we need these reforms. We need these reforms to ensure trust in the courts [and] preserve the system of checks and balances that are vital to our democracy.” He said that by July 4, 2026, the country will celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and that the moment will be “not only about our past but about our future.
In an op-ed published on July 29, the president called for Congress to back his proposals for two significant changes to the Supreme Court and a change to the U.S. Constitution, while outlining his reasoning for pursuing changes that have long been sought by progressive camps.
In recent years, the Supreme Court released some decisions that sparked criticism from Democrats and progressives, including its overturning of Roe v. Wade and, more recently, its 6–3 ruling that presidents and former presidents are, in principle, immune from prosecution for official acts.
Restoring trust in court
On July 29, the president made clear his resolve to dedicate time during his last five months in office to back changes that he says can restore trust and accountability in both the Supreme Court and the presidency, a White House official told The Epoch Times.
