President Joe Biden’s potential endorsement of significant Supreme Court reform would mark a significant shift in American politics. The Supreme Court has operated with nine justices since 1869, and the proposal to change the number of justices or implement term limits is a substantive departure from tradition.
This reform could affect the balance of the court, which currently leans conservative with a 6-3 majority. Changing the number of seats could potentially allow more liberal justices to be appointed, altering the Court’s ideological balance. On the other hand, implementing term limits could circulate judges more frequently and reduce the impact of a single appointment.
However, it’s important to remember that either of these reforms would likely face substantial challenges. They would require legislative changes which means they may face opposition in Congress, where a 60-vote supermajority is often needed to move a bill forward in the Senate.
While Biden has not explicitly endorsed these reforms at present, he did create a bipartisan commission in April 2021 to study the topic. Depending on the commission’s findings, he may decide to support significant changes to the Supreme Court. This would likely spark vigorous debate and possible legal challenges, given the transformative nature of the potential reforms.
