As Supreme Court Unpopularity Grows, House Democrats Introduce Term Limits In Judicial Reforms Bill

As the United States reckons with the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn the popular Roe v. Wade decision in June, House Democrats introduced a bill on Tuesday that would impose term limits on the judges at the Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court Tenure Establishment and Retirement Modernization Act, introduced to the House by Georgia Rep. Hank Johnson, will impose an 18-year term limit for Supreme Court judges and introduces a new system where a President can appoint a new judge every two years, according to the Guardian.

“Regularizing appointments every two years will ensure a supreme court that is more representative of the nation, reflecting the choices of recently elected presidents and senators,” Johnson said. “Term limits for supreme court justices are an essential tool to restoring a constitutional balance to the three branches of the federal government.”

The bill reflects the popular opinion of the citizens of the country, with over 67% of Americans in favor of introducing term limits to Supreme Court judges and only 25% having any confidence in the Court or its decisions. Many have pivoted to this opinion after the conservative majority of the Court chose to overturn Roe v. Wade despite overwhelming support for abortion rights across the country, Axios reported.

“Five of the six conservative justices on the bench were appointed by presidents who lost the popular vote, and they are now racing to impose their out-of-touch agenda on the American people, who do not want it,” Johnson said. “Term limits are a necessary step toward restoring balance to this radical, unrestrained majority on the court.”

The bill, which is being introduced to the Senate by Rhode Island Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, is unlikely to pass due to the need for over 10 Republican votes for it to pass the House and the Senate.

A Supreme Court commission that President Biden created to research potential reforms to the Court noted that term limits are popular on both sides of the political spectrum, and noted that at least 27 democracies around the world have term limits for their Supreme Court judges.