Montana’s congressional delegation and those hoping to join it reacted to President Joe Biden’s call to reform the U.S. Supreme Court early this week, with Democratic Sen. Jon Tester backing the need to hold judges accountable to a code of ethics but saying he needed to review the rest of the plan.
Republicans sharply were against Biden’s goals, while Democrats seeking office viewed them positively.
In an opinion piece in the Washington Post on Monday, Biden, a Democrat, proposed 18-year term limits for justices on a schedule where a president would appoint a new justice every two years. Biden also said he wants a binding code of conduct for the court instead of the current self-enforced system. Additionally, he wants to roll back the presidential immunity the court recently granted in a case involving former Republican President Donald Trump.
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Vice President Kamala Harris, who is the presumptive replacement for Biden on the Democratic party’s ticket this fall, endorsed the changes Monday. Though they’re unlikely to advance in the remainder of Biden’s term given the makeup of Congress, Biden’s plan, and Harris’ endorsement of it are aimed to sway voters this fall.
