Democrats are renewing their calls to expand the Supreme Court in the wake of the justices’ decision on presidential immunity. In a 6-3 decision Monday, July 1, the justices ruled presidents are entitled to absolute immunity from prosecution for actions that fall within their constitutional duties and presumptive immunity for official acts. However, the decision stated there is no immunity for unofficial acts.
Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minn., posted on social media, “The Supreme Court is broken. The remedy is clear. Expand the court.”
Rep. Hank Johnson, D-Ga., called on the House to pass the Judiciary Act which would expand the court to 13 seats. It does not change the presidential nomination process.
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It’s not clear exactly what Democrats will try and ultimately accomplish. However, it is clear they are going to make another effort at court reforms.
“House Democrats will engage in aggressive oversight and legislative activity with respect to the Supreme Court to ensure that the extreme, far-right justices in the majority are brought into compliance with the Constitution,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said in a statement.
Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said he will continue to push to pass the Supreme Court Ethics, Recusal and Transparency Act.
“Today’s ultra-conservative Supreme Court majority ruled that not just Donald Trump, but future presidents, may be immune from abusing the levers of government to overturn an election or engage in other misconduct,” Durbin said in a statement.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., announced she intends to file articles of impeachment when the House returns, but she did not specify against whom.
“Today’s ruling represents an assault on American democracy,” Ocasio-Cortez stated. “It is up to Congress to defend our nation from this authoritarian capture.”
Everything Democrats are proposing, whether it be legislative or impeachment, would require a bipartisan vote in both the House and Senate, which is highly unlikely to happen. Democrats have tried each of the legislative proposals already and failed to get them across the finish line.
Tags: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Dick Durbin, Hakeem Jeffries, House Democrats, House of Representatives, Senate Judiciary Committee, Supreme Court, U.S. Congress, U.S. Senate
[RAY BOGAN]
Democrats are renewing their calls to expand the Supreme Court in the wake of the justices’ decision on presidential immunity.
Senator Tina Smith posted on social media that the Supreme Court is broken and the remedy is clear, expand the court.
Representative Hank Johnson called on the House to pass the judiciary act which would expand the court to 13 seats. It does not change the presidential nomination process.
It’s not clear exactly what Democrats will try and ultimately be able to accomplish. But it’s clear they are going to make another effort at court reforms after the 6-3 decision stated presidents have presumptive immunity for official acts, but no immunity for unofficial acts.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said in a statement: House Democrats will engage in aggressive oversight and legislative activity with respect to the Supreme Court to ensure that the extreme, far-right justices in the majority are brought into compliance with the Constitution.
The Democratic Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee stated: Until Chief Justice Roberts uses his existing authority to enact an enforceable code of conduct, I will continue to push to pass the Supreme Court Ethics, Recusal, and Transparency Act.”
Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said she intends to file articles of impeachment when the House returns next week, but she did not specify against whom.
She said in a statement: Today’s ruling represents an assault on American democracy. It is up to Congress to defend our nation from this authoritarian capture.
Everything Democrats are proposing, whether it be legislative or impeachment, would require a bipartisan vote in both the House and Senate, something that isn’t going to happen. They’ve also tried each of the legislative proposals already, and failed to get them across the finish line.
Straight Arrow News will be on Capitol Hill covering this when Congress returns from their fourth of July recess. So for factual reporting straight from DC, download the straight arrow news app.
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