President Joe Biden plans to publicly support term limits for Supreme Court justices and other Court revisions, CNN reports, in his latest leap to the far left.
"I’m about to come out with a major initiative on limiting the court. … I’ve been working with constitutional scholars for the last three months," Biden said, according to the Washington Post. Sources familiar with the deliberations confirmed to CNN the president is "seriously considering" endorsing significant changes to the Supreme Court in the coming weeks, including proposals to establish term limits for the justices, an enforceable ethics code, and a constitutional act that would overturn the recent immunity ruling.
In an effort to save his stumbling reelection campaign, Biden—who entered the presidency as a center-left moderate—has cozied up to progressive Democrats, who largely have remained faithful to his campaign.
Last week, Biden unveiled a plan to cap landlords' ability to increase rent prices, as continued inflation has made the cost of housing one of the biggest hurdles for Americans. The move has been celebrated by progressives such as Sen. Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.) and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D., Mass.).
The major shift in Biden’s messaging and policy comes as many Democratic figureheads, donors, and lawmakers have called on the octogenarian commander in chief to exit the 2024 presidential race since his abysmal June debate performance. A Wednesday poll found that nearly two-thirds of Democrats believe Biden should withdraw from the race.
Biden has, however, found support from far-left "Squad" members, including Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D., N.Y.), Ilhan Omar (D., Minn.), and Ayanna Pressley (D., Mass.).
"I have spoken with [Biden] extensively. He made clear then and he has made clear since that he is in this race. The matter is closed," Ocasio-Cortez said. "He is not leaving this race. He is in this race and I support him."
After the Congressional Progressive Caucus had a call with Biden on Saturday, Rep. Brad Sherman (D., Calif.) told Axios that the Progressive Caucus is "his base."
"You see who has called upon him to move on, and who has called upon him to stay, and the Progressive Caucus lines up with those who have asked him to stay," Sherman said.
Progressives have long advocated for SCOTUS revisions. In 2022, Progressive Caucus Democrats introduced legislation to put term limits on Supreme Court justices and in 2021, far-left congressional Democrats looked to increase the number of justices, a move Biden said he was against at the time.
The announcement reflects a significant shift in the president’s ideology. Biden—a former chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee—has long resisted calls to make substantive changes to the high court.
The suggested term limits and an ethics code would need congressional approval, which would face long odds in the Republican-controlled House and a slim Democratic majority in the Senate. It would also require a constitutional amendment, which needs two-thirds support of both chambers and approval by three-fourths of state legislatures.