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Rep. Khanna welcomes Biden's decision to impose term limits for justices
Biden advocated for adopting an 18-year term limit for justices, along with a code of conduct.
Indian American Representative Ro Khanna. / Ro Khanna website
Indian American Representative Ro Khanna, co-author of the Supreme Court Term Limits and Regular Appointments Act, expressed his support for President Joe Biden’s Supreme Court reform plan that seeks to impose term limits for justices.
In a Washington Post op-ed Biden asserted the need to curb a conservative-led court that, according to him, was being used to undermine established civil rights principles and protections. He announced plans to collaborate with Congress on enacting these reforms, which include term limits and a binding code of conduct.
Welcoming the news, Khanna said, “Term limits and a binding code of ethics will rebalance the Court and rebuild confidence in our institutions. I’m glad to see the administration heed our calls for Supreme Court reform and I’m proud to have led this effort with Rep. Beyer and my colleagues,” said Rep. Ro Khanna.
Biden’s reforms include binding and enforceable rules requiring Supreme Court justices to disclose gifts, abstain from public political activities, and recuse themselves from cases where they or their spouses have financial or other conflicts of interest. He also advocated for adopting an 18-year term limit for justices, who presently serve life terms.
The Supreme Court Term Limits and Regular Appointments Act, initially introduced by Reps. Khanna and Beyer in 2020, also proposes 18-year term limits for Supreme Court justices appointed after the bill's enactment. Following their 18-year terms, justices would be permitted to continue serving on lower courts.
A 2020 poll by Fix the Court and PSB revealed that 77 percent of Americans favor term limits for Supreme Court justices. The idea of term limits has garnered support from various conservative and liberal legal scholars and elected officials. Chief Justice John Roberts, Justice Stephen Breyer, and Justice Elena Kagan have all shown interest in the concept of term limits.
“Public trust in the Supreme Court is at a historic low. Since we first introduced this legislation in 2020, extreme conservatives on the Court have overturned Dobbs, ended Chevron deference, given presidents absolute immunity from criminal prosecution, and some have been exposed for accepting lavish gifts,” Khanna said highlighting the impact of the legislation.
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