Democrats prepare bill limiting U.S. Supreme Court justice terms to 18 years

[mystery-ak]

September 24, 20204:35 PMUpdated 2 hours ago
Democrats prepare bill limiting U.S. Supreme Court justice terms to 18 years

By Andrew Chung

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Democrats in of the House of Representatives will introduce a bill next week to limit the tenure of U.S. Supreme Court justices to 18 years from current lifetime appointments, in a bid to reduce partisan warring over vacancies and preserve the court’s legitimacy.

The new bill, seen by Reuters, would allow every president to nominate two justices per four-year term and comes amid heightened political tensions as Republican President Donald Trump prepares to announce his third pick for the Supreme Court after the death on Sept. 18 of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, with just 40 days to go until the Nov. 3 election.

“It would save the country a lot of agony and help lower the temperature over fights for the court that go to the fault lines of cultural issues and is one of the primary things tearing at our social fabric,” said California U.S. Representative Ro Khanna, who plans to introduce the legislation on Tuesday, along with Representatives Joe Kennedy III of Massachusetts and Don Beyer of Virginia.

Partly due to rising life expectancies, justices serve increasingly long tenures, on average now more than 25 years.

more
https://uk.reuters.com/article/us-usa-court-termlimits/democrats-prepare-bill-limiting-u-s-supreme-court-justice-terms-to-18-years-idUSKCN26F3L3

[Cyber Liberty]

It'll never work.  If a President Nominates two Justices, and then another Justice dies suddenly, he can't appoint a replacement?  Utter BS.  Just say no to this risky scheme.

If Trump is reelected, there's a good chance he will get four picks.  That's gotta be driving the leftists batshit crazy.  The intent here is to deprive Trump, specifically, any more picks.

[skeeter]

Rats wouldn't give a rats arse about "legitimacy" and "lowering the temperature". They care about political advantage & power. So much so they should NEVER be trusted with them.

[GrouchoTex]

Of course they are.
Have they prepared a bill for their own term limits?
Of course not.

[IsailedawayfromFR]

This would require a Constitutional Amendment.

Pelosi and her bunch know it.

[Cyber Liberty]

This would require a Constitutional Amendment.

Pelosi and her bunch know it.

Correct.  From Article III, Section 1:

The judicial Power of the United States, shall be vested in one supreme Court, and in such inferior Courts as the Congress may from time to time ordain and establish. The Judges, both of the supreme and inferior Courts, shall hold their Offices during good Behavior, and shall, at stated Times, receive for their Services a Compensation which shall not be diminished during their Continuance in Office.

It's the same silence about Term Limits that you find in Article I, which the SCOTUS used to strike down Term Limits in the Speaker Foley case of 1994.  He sued to overturn his state's Term Limits law, won the suit but lost the seat and his Speakership in the GOP surge that handed both houses to the Republicans. 

[jafo2010]

Actually, I agree we should have term limits for judges.  But more importnatly, the legislature would be taken seriously if they imposed limits on themselves FIRST.

I have ZERO respect for Congress because of this fact.  No one in the House or Senate is what I consider a statesman/woman as often thought of folks from years ago.  NO ONE!  They are all serving, self enriching POSs.