Staff Reports
The White House is apparently conducting top-secret operations regarding potential changes to the Supreme Court, leaving even key Senate Democrats in the dark. Despite the extensive chatter surrounding court reforms, several members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, including the second-highest ranking Democrat, Dick Durbin of Illinois, have reported they haven’t heard a peep from the Administration. It seems that as the clock ticks down on his presidency, Joe Biden is ignoring the very party members touted as vital collaborators in his legislative efforts.
Instead of rallying his fellow Democrats, the White House seems to be relying on one lone figure: Senator Sheldon Whitehouse from Rhode Island. Whitehouse, a trusty ally of court reform ideals, claims he’s been in touch with the White House. Meanwhile, bucketloads of other Senate Democrats are left wondering what’s happening while chewing on their nails. One can almost picture Durbin’s face twitching as he tries to make sense of it all without a single update.
In a recent plea for support from the Oval Office, Biden laid out what he argues are critical goals for his remaining months, one of which conveniently includes the much-battered idea of Supreme Court reform. This has been a hot-button issue especially since the court took a more “conservative” turn during Trump’s presidency, igniting progressive desires to pack the court with a few extra justices to shake things up. The irony is that while Biden taps into his inner crusader for democracy, his Democratic counterparts are left with old drafts scribbled in margins and unanswered emails.
Among the proposed reforms, Biden supports term limits for justices and a binding ethics code that trumps the court’s self-imposed pledges. However, the chances these ideas will make it through a divided Congress are about as likely as finding a unicorn in Central Park. While these proposals might get some Democrats riled up, they seem like little more than bait to energize the left’s base just ahead of upcoming elections. Whitehouse is positively ecstatic about the direction they’re heading, suggesting that Vice President Kamala Harris will provide that extra push. What’s next? A victory dance at the White House?
The White House is keeping its work on proposed changes to the Supreme Court under wraps from key Senate Democrats even as some seek to offer their two cents on policies they would play a crucial role in passing. https://t.co/wG9GmHFE7j
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) July 26, 2024
But amidst the chaos, some Senate Democrats are clamoring for more dialogue with the White House, hoping someone in the administration might answer the phone. The likes of Senators Mazie Hirono and Richard Blumenthal are pushing for more collaboration, while others like Ed Markey want to take this court-reform train even further by inviting four new justices to the party. However, Republicans continue to stand their ground. Senators like Mitt Romney and Ted Cruz are drawing a bright line in the sand, insisting that Congress needs to keep its nose out of judicial matters.
And while President Biden fumbles through these half-baked proposals, critics like Carrie Severino from the Judicial Crisis Network and other staunch conservatives are ready to push back hard. They argue that Biden is merely trying to appease his far-left benefactors with vague promises of reform while masking a more insidious agenda to manipulate the judicial system. If only the Democrats spent as much effort talking to each other as they do proposing fantastical reforms, maybe they could formulate a coherent plan without resorting to stealth operations. Alas, the circus continues.
