Dear Neighbors,

Over the last few months, we’ve seen disturbing reports of conflicts of interest involving a number of Supreme Court Justices. That’s why I’ve been working to draft and support bills to reform the Court.

It starts with recognition that Donald Trump and Mitch McConnell have stacked the Court— first by holding open a seat Obama should have filled, and then by jamming through a nominee while voting was going on to elect Joe Biden. The result of these machinations was that two justices were placed in the court that shouldn’t be there. And the result of that imbalance has been disastrous — including the stripping away of reproductive rights and environmental protections, the degradation of voting rights, and more.

I am committed to working towards restoring faith in our highest court. This month, I introduced two significant pieces of legislation to reform our federal court system and bring back integrity and accountability.

First, I joined Senators Ed Markey and Tina Smith, and Representative Hank Johnson, in introducing the Judiciary Act, which would expand and unstack the Supreme Court by adding four seats.

The Judiciary Act is a necessary response to the declining confidence the American people have in the Supreme Court. Throughout history, Congress has adjusted the size of the Court seven times, and it is within our authority to do so once again. The current composition of the Court has been manipulated by Republicans for purely partisan purposes, jeopardizing reproductive freedom, voting rights, and environmental protections. By expanding the Court, we can begin the process of restoring faith in its ability to fairly administer justice and uphold the rule of law.

Second, I introduced the Justice is Beneficial Limitation on Investments and Necessary Disclosure (BLIND) Act alongside Representatives Hank Johnson and Abigail Spanberger. This would address concerns that judges and their families are putting their financial interests over the interests of the public.

My bill would limit federal judges, including Supreme Court Justices, from holding financial interests and stocks that may pose a conflict of interest with the cases they are deciding. The Justice is BLIND Act requires judges and their spouses and dependent children to place any covered financial interests — or put more simply, stocks — in a qualified blind trust, ensuring that their decisions are based on the law and not influenced by personal financial considerations. It also establishes stricter requirements and greater transparency and disclosure requirements to encourage impartial decision-making.

We must ensure that judges are focused on the public rather than their pocketbooks. The Justice is BLIND Act will help restore confidence in our judicial system and reinforce the principle that justice should be served without any perception of impropriety.

Much more is necessary to reform the Supreme Court, including instituting reasonable term limits on Justices and passing an enforceable code of ethics. I’ll continue to work to build support for those reforms, as well. But taken together — expanding the court, preventing judges from trading stock, instituting term limits, and passing an enforceable code of ethics — can dramatically restore faith in the Supreme Court and justice system.

As your representative, I will continue to work to restore faith in our institutions and ensure that justice is served fairly and impartially. Together, we can make a difference and strengthen our democracy.

Thank you for your continued support.

Sincerely, 

Member of Congress

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