Democratic lawmakers are proposing reforms to the Supreme Court in response to its perceived rightward shift. They have expressed frustration with recent conservative rulings, which they believe undermine decades of progress in areas such as voting rights, abortion rights, and campaign finance. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island stated that there is growing discontent regarding the court's decisions, which some view as politically motivated rather than based on legal interpretation.
In recent months, several bills have been introduced aimed at reforming the Supreme Court. One proposal by Whitehouse seeks to impose term limits on justices, reducing their lifetime appointments to 18 years, with a new nomination every two years to maintain ideological balance. Another proposal aims to increase the number of justices from nine to thirteen, while additional measures include requiring justices to place certain assets in blind trusts and establishing standards for emergency rulings from the court's shadow docket.
This renewed effort for reform echoes a similar push in 2020, when Democrats were concerned about the appointment of three justices by former President Donald Trump, while former President Barack Obama was unable to fill a vacancy due to Senate procedural maneuvers. Former Vice President Kamala Harris has also suggested revisiting the idea of expanding the court. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries indicated that various options for reform are being considered by current Democratic leadership.