Dear John,

The Supreme Court on Thursday -- with the 6 Republican appointees on one side and the 3 Democratic appointees on the other -- limited the Environmental Protection Agency’s ability to regulate carbon emissions from power plants.

This ruling deals a major blow to America’s, and the world’s, efforts to address climate change. Also -- just like with its decisions reversing Roe v. Wade, allowing teacher-led prayers in public schools, and limiting the rights of states to enact gun control -- today’s decision has implications that go well beyond the EPA and the environment.

West Virginia v. EPA is the latest battle pitting America’s big businesses (in this case Big Oil) against the needs of average Americans. The financial backers of the Republican Party are getting exactly what they paid for.

This Supreme Court is increasingly facing a legitimacy crisis. It’s time for Democrats to take reforming the Court seriously. Congress must consider Court reforms aimed at restoring the American people’s trust and confidence in the Supreme Court now.

Reforming the Court has never been more urgent. Here are five possible avenues for reform:

1. Enact term limits;
2. Enforce ethics standards;
3. Require financial disclosures;
4. Expand the court (Congress has changed the size of the Court seven times throughout history);
5. Rotate justices.

One thing is for certain: we cannot allow the extremists who have hijacked the Court to go unchecked.

We need Democrats to both carve out a filibuster exception for reproductive rights and climate action, and reform the United States Supreme Court to restore trust and protect our most fundamental rights. Whether that’s mandatory ethics rules, term limits, expanding the number of justices, all of the above or more, all ideas should be on the table.

Congress must act to reform the Court and it won’t be easy to get it done. That’s why it’s absolutely critical we begin building real support right now. Please add your name.

I keep telling the young people I work with and in the classes I teach that I grew up in an America that expanded constitutional rights, battled racism and protected voting rights, and enlarged the middle class.

I tell them that if we did it then, we can do so again.

Thank you for joining me in this fight.

Robert Reich
Inequality Media Civic Action