United For Democracy Applauds President Biden’s Court Reform Proposals, Celebrates Major Step Towards Building an Equitable Court and Strengthening Democracy
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, United for Democracy (UFD), a Coalition of 140+ organizations representing tens of millions of Americans across civil rights, labor, reproductive freedom, and climate movements, applauds President Biden’s proposed reforms for the Supreme Court. The president’s proposal, which includes term limits, an ethics code, and eliminating broad immunity for presidents is a critical first step in building an equitable Court and strengthening our democracy. With President Biden’s call to action, there is an urgent need for Congress to act and a significant opportunity for the American people to hold our elected officials accountable to fixing the Court.
The reforms from the Biden-Harris Administration comes on the heels of UFD’s latest campaign calling on Congress to use its power to hold MAGA Justices accountable and curb their ongoing power grab to serve their billionaire and special-interests backers. The American people have been paying the price of the Court’s corruption and are calling the Court’s legitimacy into question. In fact, 62 percent of Americans disapprove of the Supreme Court’s actions. The Court’s approval rating has not risen higher than 47 percent since overturning Roe v. Wade.
"Today marks a pivotal moment in our nation's history as President Biden announces his support for reforming the Supreme Court. This is a vital step towards ensuring a judiciary that truly reflects the values and needs of the American people,” said Stasha Rhodes, Executive Director for United for Democracy. “For too long, the integrity of our highest court has been compromised by undue influences and partisan maneuvering. President Biden's commitment to reform is a testament to his dedication to restoring faith in our democratic institutions and protecting the rights and freedoms of all people. We stand with the Biden-Harris Administration in this courageous effort and call on Congress to take immediate action to build a Supreme Court that serves justice, fairness, and equality for everyone.”
“Sixty one years ago, my father stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial to call on America to finally make real the long-denied promise of democracy. One year later, he stood in the East Room of the White House as President Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 into law, bringing America one step closer to that beautiful dream. But now, 60 years later, the work and legacy of my father and so many others is being erased by an extreme, unaccountable, and corrupt Supreme Court. We are proud to support President Biden’s strong steps toward reforming this corrupt and broken Supreme Court,” said Martin Luther King III & Arndrea Waters King, Chairman of the Board and President of Drum Major Institute.
“We have been at the doors and on the phones with our neighbors from Lackawanna County to the Lehigh Valley, and Pennsylvanians in every corner of the northeast region are done paying the price of this MAGA Court. Our community is fighting for a better future by way of a better Court,” said Alisha Hoffman-Mirilovich, Executive Director of Action Together NEPA. “The President’s call for reform is a reminder to continue that fight. We are ready to keep organizing and amplifying the power of Pennsylvanians so that we can keep paving the path toward a Court that protects our freedoms, not the profits and politics of an elite few.”
“President Biden and Vice President Harris’ call for much needed Supreme Court reforms, including a binding code of ethics and term limits, could not be timelier – and more warranted. Every American deserves a Supreme Court that interprets the law fairly and prudently, not one that ignores basic ethical standards and wounds our democracy with decisions that protect corporations and billionaires and give presidents and courts more power than the Founders ever intended. It’s time for Congress to meet this moment: to paraphrase Justice Sotomayor, ‘with fear for our democracy, we must act,’” said Randi Weingarten, President of AFT.
“A majority of the Supreme Court has forgotten what they learned in their constitutional law classes—that their role is to serve, not control, the American people and that presidents are not kings. I second President Biden’s call for term limits, a binding code of ethics, and a constitutional amendment to reestablish America’s founding principle that no man is above the law is critical. Congress must act immediately on these measures to shore up the nation’s decaying democratic foundation,” said Patrick Gaspard, Chief Executive Officer of the Center for American Progress Action Fund.
“We applaud President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris for continuing to lead on the critical issue of defending and advancing our democracy,” said Tiffany Muller, President of End Citizens United. “MAGA extremists have captured the Supreme Court and undermined our rights and freedoms. The American people see it for what it is: rampant corruption and a pay-to-play system that Leonard Leo has set up to give billionaires and corporate special interests access and influence over the courts. It’s past time for Congress to enact meaningful reforms to the Supreme Court.”
“We celebrate the Biden-Harris administration’s announcement of these common sense steps to reform the Supreme Court. The current court has been corrupted by fossil fuel money to secure right-wing radical justices who have relentlessly undermined our bedrock environmental laws and fundamental rights. It is past time to stop the MAGA majority’s power grab, and move forward with the climate action that the public – and Congress – actually voted for,” said Lena Moffitt, Executive Director of Evergreen Action.
"The United States Supreme Court is out of step with the majority of Americans. The court has been hijacked by an extremist ideology that uses the court to impose its will on communities across the country. The Justices are supposed to safeguard our civil rights, and democracy—not give the keys away to a rising authoritarian. Mandating term limits for justices is long overdue. We stand with our partners and the Biden-Harris administration in support of major reform," said Alejandra Gomez, Executive Director of Living United for Change in Arizona
“The MAGA Supreme Court majority has completely undercut public confidence in the Court and is threatening its credibility. The bold agenda for reform that the president is announcing is a first step in the important work to fix what the MAGA right wing has broken. If we do not act swiftly and boldly following the guide of the Biden Court reform agenda, not only will the MAGA majority continue to abuse the power of the Court, but the American people will completely lose trust in the institution, and it will destabilize our democracy,” said Rahna Epting, Executive Director of MoveOn PAC.
"Today, we applaud the extraordinary leadership of President Biden, who announced necessary and historic reforms to the Supreme Court to ensure they are the voice of the people and not corporations,” said Becky Pringle, 8th-grade science teacher and president of the National Education Association. “The Supreme Court’s MAGA super majority threatens our democracy and personal freedoms. Our students and educators deserve a court system that upholds our democratic values, and they deserve leaders who stand up for their future. Today is an important step in building that future.”
“Each time the MAGA Supreme Court justices open the doors to their dangerous agenda, Arizona’s MAGA lawmakers walk right through with new bills and cases to finish the job. Again and again, this coordinated attack has cost Arizonans our fundamental freedoms— from our reproductive freedom to our freedom to vote. We are done paying the price and we celebrate the President’s proposal which makes clear, ‘Enough is enough,’” said Alex Alvarez, Executive Director of Progress Arizona. “Now it’s time for Congress to get to work to fix the Court so we can continue to fight forward toward progress for the people of Arizona, rather than fighting to stop the Court and our lawmakers from turning back the clock.”
“When Donald Trump and Senate Republicans stacked the Supreme Court with extremists, they knew that they were solidifying a corrupt supermajority willing to carry out their extreme and unpopular agenda, no matter the costs to our communities and democracy. We can’t count on the MAGA justices on our nation’s highest court to safeguard our rights and freedoms, and the only path forward is to take action. We must reform the court to restore its legitimacy and ensure that it is accountable to the American people, and we’re grateful to the Biden-Harris administration for joining our calls to do so,” said Mini Timmaraju, President and CEO of Reproductive Freedom for All.
“Today, working people are cheering President Biden’s call for major court reform, beginning with a long overdue ethics overhaul at the Supreme Court. For the first time in history, in Trump vs. the U.S, the Supreme Court ruled that someone is above the law. Meanwhile, right-wing justices have used the Court for their own gain, while doling out decisions as political favors to the highest bidders. All options for court reform must be thoroughly considered,” said April Verrett, International President of Service Employees International Union. “Sixty years after the historic passage of the Civil Rights Act, we will not stand by as corrupt justices repeal our fundamental rights while acting like the rules don’t apply to them. Working people, especially people of color, are losing faith in a system that does not reflect them and rules disproportionately in favor of the white, the wealthy and the politically connected. Our highest court must be an independent check on unlawful actions and represented by justices who are fair, diverse and ethical. It’s about time that people who are called Justice live up to that value. Our democracy depends on it.”
“Arizonans deserve a Supreme Court that works for workers — rather than today’s extremist Court that’s running the corporate playbook and rewriting the rules for their billionaire backers. With the President’s bold call for Supreme Court reform, we’re reminded that Court is possible,” said Brendan Walsh, Executive Director of Worker Power. “The urgency for Congress to answer the President’s call could not be more clear. Just weeks ago the extremist justices made their greatest power grab yet, granting themselves even more authority over our overtime pay, our collective action, and our accommodations and protections in the workplace. So long as this Court remains unchecked, workers and our unions remain under threat. It’s time to reform the Court.”