John,
I’m writing with some great news – moments ago, President Joe Biden announced a sweeping agenda to reform the U.S. Supreme Court and rebuild its legitimacy with the American people. Add your name if you agree – we deserve a Supreme Court we can trust >>
As you know well, the Court has brought itself into disrepute in the past few years with a variety of conflicts of interest from multiple justices, including expenses-paid vacations with Republican megadonors and even public shows of support for the January 6th insurrectionists.
And last month, trust in them plummeted to what could be its lowest point to date after they declared that current and former Presidents are near-totally immune from prosecution for any criminal wrongdoing.
John, this Court has, through their actions, shown the public they have lost their ability to make decisions free from political and wealthy influence. But instead of trying to shore up our trust, they’ve degraded it even further – rolling out a totally non-binding code of ethics, then proceeding to openly violate it.
That’s why I’m so excited about today’s blueprint for reform – which includes a strong and enforceable code of ethics for justices, rather than relying on them to watchdog themselves. And crucially, President Biden has now joined the call for a constitutional amendment to overrule the Court’s disastrous ruling on presidential immunity.
.jpg "Photograph of Common Cause team at President Biden's speech")
I was there in person to hear the President speak, where he made a persuasive case that our nation’s highest court must be held to the highest ethical standards. And I was particularly glad to see him affirm the idea that nobody – not presidents, nor judges – should be above the law.
The decisions Supreme Court justices make affect all of us – our rights, our health, our environment, and our future. We deserve to be confident that nothing besides the public interest and rule of law are guiding them – free from partisan political agendas, financial incentives, or extremist ideology.
Our country can be better than this – and with your help, we will be. Will you join President Biden, and me, in urging Congress to take bold action for an ethical Supreme Court?
Thanks for all you do,
Virginia Kase Solomón, President and CEO
and the team at Common Cause
