📩 People Power United urges Congress to pass SCOTUS term limits, Court expansion, and a binding code of conduct
🗽A well informed citizenry is the best defense against tyranny.
People Power United is a proud member of the United for Democracy coalition and joined fellow coalition members to send a letter to Congress to pass SCOTUS term limits, Court expansion, and a binding code of conduct. Shout out to Stand Up America for leading these efforts.
Today’s call-to-action:
Click here to send a message to your member of Congress
Check out the letter we sent to Congress and statements made by leaders:
July 9, 2024
Dear Senator/Representative:
On behalf of the undersigned national organizations, we write to urge Congress to respond swiftly and decisively to the alarming decisions issued by the Supreme Court in its 2023-2024 term. The MAGA Justices’ assault on our freedoms and our democracy demands a robust legislative response.
Specifically, we urge you to cosponsor and pass legislation to establish an enforceable Code of Conduct, to impose term limits on current and future Supreme Court justices, and to expand the size of the Court.
We need bold action. Expansion, term limits, and a code of conduct are necessary to restore trust and balance to our highest court and end the threat to our rights posed by its MAGA majority.
The Supreme Court is in crisis. Corruption and over-politicization have plunged the Court’s approval ratings to record lows. The MAGA majority overturned Roe v. Wade, gutted the Voting Rights Act, rolled back clean air and water protections, blocked student debt relief, undermined workers’ rights, and opened the floodgates to corporate money in political campaigns. This year, the MAGA majority doubled down on its extremism.
This term, the Court approved racial gerrymandering and diluted the power of Black voters (Alexander v. South Carolina N.A.A.C.P.), effectively eliminated the statute of limitations to challenge agency regulations (Corner Post v. Board of Governors), sided with January 6 insurrectionists (Fischer v. U.S.), struck down the ban on deadly bump stocks that turn semi-automatic weapons into machine guns (Garland v. Cargill), froze a critical clean air standard (Ohio v. EPA), allowed for the criminalization of homelessness (Grants Pass v. Johnson), temporarily delayed deciding whether emergency rooms must care for pregnant patients (Moyle v. U.S.), hobbled federal enforcement against white collar fraudsters (S.E.C. v. Jarkesy), made it easier to bribe elected officials (Snyder v. U.S.), and imperiled public agencies’ ability to protect Americans from pollution, unsafe food and medication, hazardous working conditions, and more, by overturning Chevron (Loper Bright v. Raimondo).
To cap it off, the Court upended 250 years of the American experiment by giving former and future presidents sweeping immunity for “official” acts (Trump v. U.S.).
Collectively, these decisions will exacerbate gun violence, increase pollution, benefit large corporations, punish homelessness, erode reproductive freedom, undermine experts and federal law enforcement, and imperil the rule of law and our democracy.
Justices Sotomayor, Kagan, and Jackson dissented in nearly all of these cases. In dissent after dissent, these three courageous Justices have alerted Congress and the public to the crisis in the Court. In their view, across these decisions, “the Court wreaks havoc on Government agencies, businesses, and society at large” (Corner Post), engages in “a power grab” (Jarkesy), “forgets…principle” (Cargill), abdicates “its role in safeguarding constitutional liberties for the most vulnerable among us” (Grants Pass), “gives itself exclusive power over every open issue—no matter how expertise-driven or policy-laden” and “turns itself into the country’s administrative czar” (Loper Bright), “facilitat[es] the suffering of people in need of urgent medical treatment” (Moyle), and declares that “[i]n every use of official power, the President is now a king above the law” (Trump). Justice Kagan captured the sentiment in her own Alexander dissent: “[W]e should demand better—of ourselves, of our political representatives, and most of all of this Court.”
At the same time, the Court’s ethical crisis continues. Wealthy billionaires and corporations openly shower the justices with luxury gifts and travel, including lavish vacations, free private school tuition, and lucrative property deals and housing renovations for Justice Thomas. Justice Alito received an all-expense-paid fishing trip to Alaska, complete with a private jet, while ruling on environmental cases as his wife leased drilling land to an oil and gas company. These same donors also bring cases before the Court, including MAGA operative Leonard Leo and oil billionaire Charles Koch, whose dark money nonprofit brought Loper Bright to attack federal agencies and protect big business. In addition, we recently learned that Justice Alito flew insurrectionist flags at his homes after the January 6, 2021, attack on our country.
The Supreme Court pretended to address this crisis by issuing a nonbinding “Code of Conduct.” Within months, Justices Thomas and Alito violated Canon 3.B.2 of this so-called “code” by failing to recuse themselves from Loper Bright and the January 6 cases (Trump and Fischer). Federal law required these justices to recuse themselves when “[their] impartiality might reasonably be questioned,” or “[they have] a personal bias or prejudice concerning a party,” (28 U.S.C. § 455).
The American people deserve a Supreme Court they can trust — a court that decides the cases without political bias or favor. That public trust has been shattered.
As a coequal branch of government, Congress has a duty to restore trust in the Supreme Court. That is why a majority of Americans support Congress passing an enforceable code of ethics, establishing term limits for current and future Justices, and expanding the size of the Court.
In particular, expanding the size of the Supreme Court to 13 justices would restore balance and integrity to the Court. The Judiciary Act (H.R.3422/S.1141) would allow the president to immediately appoint 4 qualified, ethical justices. Congress has changed the size of the Supreme Court 7 times in U.S. history, often at a time of political crisis. A majority of the current Court was appointed by presidents who took office after losing the popular vote. Expansion would also restore the traditional parallel between the size of the Supreme Court and the 13 federal courts of appeals.
The Judiciary Act is sponsored by Senator Edward Markey and Representative Hank Johnson and co-sponsored by 65 Members of Congress. Over 100 national organizations support Court expansion.
We urge you to cosponsor and pass legislation to restore balance and integrity to our nation’s highest court, including an enforceable Code of Conduct, term limits, and expanding the Court with seats for four new justices. It is time for Congress to act.
Sincerely,
Stand Up America
Take Back the Court Action Fund
League of Conservation Voters
All* In Action Fund
Alliance for Justice Action Campaign
American Atheists
American Humanist Association
Center for Popular Democracy Action
Climate Hawks Vote
CommonDefense.us
Court Accountability Action
DemCast USA
Demos Action
Disability Victory
End Citizens United//Let America Vote Action Fund
Enough of Gun Violence
FFRF Action Fund
Free Speech For People
Friends of the Earth Action
Fourth Branch Action
Greenpeace USA
Media and Democracy Project
MoveOn
Newtown Action Alliance
NextGen America
P Street
People For the American Way
People's Parity Project
People Power United
Reproductive Freedom for All (formerly NARAL Pro-Choice America) Secure
Elections Network
Term Limit the Court
True North Research
UltraViolet Action
Vote Pro-Choice
“It is no secret that there are major issues with today’s Supreme Court,” said Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D- WA). “It is not just the scandal after scandal that we’ve seen, from upside down flags to luxury trips – they are legislating from the bench. They are subverting the will of the American people by going around Congress and the President to shape our laws and advance their own agendas. The right-wing Supreme Court has made a habit of putting powerful interests over the American people. Some of these justices are bought and paid for by the wealthiest people in this country, who are going before them in cases to overturn precedent that protects democracy and protects the rights of people across this country. They are rewriting the rules in favor of special interest to help the rich get richer and the powerful gain more power. All at the expense of the American people. Their naked partisanship and their obvious corruption has led them to losing legitimacy and the public trust. It's time for us to fix these issues and take action to restore confidence in the highest court in the land.”
“I grew up in the small town of Nitro, West Virginia, a town that's air, water, and soil were polluted by the numerous chemical companies operating there… And for decades, people got sick, many with cancer. Ironically, Justice Clarence Thomas worked as a lawyer for one of those companies up until the year I was born. Years later, I got cancer too. It was a type of cancer that is uncommon for my sex, race, age and health status, but is more prevalent in people who have been exposed to the chemicals that polluted my town. I am mostly healed and healthy now, but the prospect of this [Relentless] decision has been haunting me for months, said Christina Harvery, Executive Director of Stand Up America. “Today's decision leaves the door open for unqualified judges to undermine government experts trying to prevent tragedies like the one in Nitro, West Virginia. It will mean more diagnoses like mine, especially for poor and working-class Americans and people of color. The impact of these extreme rulings is personal for millions of Americans, and we’re not taking them sitting down.”
“SCOTUS has been taken over by people who just made a decision on Chevron that seeks to roll us back by 40 years. This is on brand for a Court who has already taken this nation back to pre-Civil War. When they speak of originalism and when they speak of the intent of the writers and authors of the Constitution, what they are saying is that they only wish to center wig-wearing, racist, people-owning white men,” said Analilia Mejia Co-Executive Director, Center for Popular Democracy. “By showing us their inhumanity, they're showing us that they are not fit to make decisions for us, to be part of the leadership for us. So what we must do for us is: Stand up. So you better call, you better write, you better go talk to your neighbors. You better stop that thing that says ‘we can't talk about politics because it's not polite,’ because our lives depend on it.”
“We cannot have a healthy environment without a healthy democracy,” said Doug Lindner, Senior Director of Judiciary & Democracy for League of Conservation Voters. “Right now, big polluters are bankrolling a tax on our freedoms. The Supreme Court’s MAGA supermajority has worked on their behalf to overturn one of the most fundamental legal principles in all of American law. This case has been used to decide more cases in this country than any other decision. This touches every area of public policy. It touches every public agency across the federal government. It touches every American. It could mean dirtier air, dirtier water, harder for workers to organize, harder for students to get relief, harder for the Congress we vote for to protect us from corporate abuse. But at the end of the day, this Court is making it clear that this isn’t about law – this is about corrupt political actors making corrupt political decisions for corrupt political reasons. It is MAGA imperialism in a black robe. They will rule over us instead of the people deciding what kind of country we want to live in.”
“This is a crisis of this Court’s own making,” said Katie O’Connor, Director of Federal Abortion Policy at the National Women’s Law Center. “The Dobbs decision was reached for one reason, and one reason only – because the composition of the court had changed. In other words, Dobbs is a crystal clear example of just how political this Supreme Court has become. After they overturned Roe v. Wade, we are begging this court for scraps. And the scraps they gave us yesterday, they gave reluctantly, partially, and maybe only temporarily. This is how far we have fallen in just two short years.”
“The Supreme Court has become unhinged. There is no power like that of the people, and People Power United stands ready to protect our communities against any and all injustices,” said Laurie Woodward García of People Power United.
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People Power United is a group of community members that champions progressive values and power for the people. The 2024 election depends on us, and we are attempting to persuade people to vote for Freedom over Fascism. If you wish to support our efforts, please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
United for Democracy is a diverse and growing coalition of 140 grassroots organizations, labor unions, and advocates for reproductive rights, gun violence prevention, the environment, workers’ rights and more, all representing tens of millions of Americans. The nationwide campaign launched to educate Americans about the impact today’s Supreme Court is having on their lives, freedoms, and democracy — and call on Congress to rein in its unchecked powers.
Yes!! We have a majority UNsupreme court that has stepped way over the line of justice and should no longer have the the unaccountible ability to reverse the progresses this country has made over the past century-plus. Their interpretations and rulings suggest that they have some sort of spiritual telephone line to the founders of this nation and the authors of our Constitution and know everything they were thinking and the logic behind their actions. In fact, they don't have a clue what the original intentions of the authors and founders were and they don't seem to care what they were. They only know what they were appointed to do and that is to assist in destroying our Republic and the Constitution of the United States of America. Let's get on with righting the wrongs they have inflicted upon the citizens of this country and reigning them in NOW!
Indeed!