--- title: These Are the Supreme Court Reforms Biden Wants description: Joe Biden has called for term limits for Supreme Court Justices, a binding code of ethics, and an immunity constitutional amendment. canonical: https://time.com/7005019/joe-biden-supreme-court-reforms/ author: Solcyré Burga article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2024-07-29T16:17:40.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-19T07:45:11.890Z article:section: Politics og:title: These Are the Supreme Court Reforms Biden Wants og:description: Term limits, a binding code of ethics, and a constitutional amendment on presidential immunity. og:url: https://time.com/7005019/joe-biden-supreme-court-reforms/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8ce94b25cdeab83a/698a5958b3fce381840cd6dd/GettyImages-2159014913.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1024 og:image:height: 576 og:image:alt: U.S. Supreme Court Issues Opinions As Term Draws To A Close og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: These Are the Supreme Court Reforms Biden Wants twitter:description: Term limits, a binding code of ethics, and a constitutional amendment on presidential immunity. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8ce94b25cdeab83a/698a5958b3fce381840cd6dd/GettyImages-2159014913.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # These Are the Supreme Court Reforms Biden Wants > Sponsored content. 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President Joe Biden is proposing some major changes to the Supreme Court that would include term limits for justices and enforceable code of ethics, and even a constitutional amendment that would limit the recent Supreme Court decision that gave former President Donald Trump and all other presidents broad immunity from criminal prosecution._  by [Solcyré Burga](https://time.com/author/solcyre-burga/)  ## Solcyré Burga Reporter Jul 29, 2024 4:17 PM UTC President Joe Biden is proposing some major changes to the Supreme Court that would include term limits for justices and enforceable code of ethics, and even a constitutional amendment that would limit the recent Supreme Court decision that gave former President Donald Trump and all other presidents broad immunity from criminal prosecution.  by [Solcyré Burga](https://time.com/author/solcyre-burga/)  ## Solcyré Burga Reporter Jul 29, 2024 4:17 PM UTC President Joe Biden called for major reforms to the Supreme Court, including a constitutional amendment that bars presidential immunity. The President said the nation’s highest court is in a “crisis of ethics” in an [op-ed](https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2024/07/29/joe-biden-reform-supreme-court-presidential-immunity-plan-announcement/) published in the Washington _Post_ on Monday. Along with the immunity amendment,Biden is also calling for term limits for Justicesand an enforceable code of conduct. The move is an evolution for Biden, who had previously spoken out against other forms of reform such as expanding the number of Justices on the court. And it’s highly unlikely that any of these proposed measures will come to pass; House Speaker Mike Johnson has already said in [a statement on X](https://x.com/SpeakerJohnson/status/1817938406049296725) that Biden’s proposal would “delegitimize the Supreme Court” and is “dead on arrival in the House.” Still, it’s significant that Biden backed the measures. “When the President speaks on something like this, we take it seriously,” saysMichael Gerhardt, constitutional law professor at the University of North Carolina’s School of Law.It “doesn't necessarily mean it'll prevail, but when you put the presidential seal of approval on it, that tends to increase its importance.” **Read More:** [_Breaking Down the Supreme Court’s Ethics Rules as Justices Come Under Fire_](https://time.com/6983758/supreme-court-ethics-rules-enforced/) Biden, who recently announced he will [not run for reelection](https://time.com/7001028/why-joe-biden-stepped-down/) this year, is set to speak about the reforms in a speech Monday afternoon as works to cement his legacy while [Vice President Kamala Harris](https://time.com/7001208/kamala-harris-views-abortion-economy-immigration-israel-gaza/) runs in his stead. Harris backed Biden’s proposals in a statement Monday.“These popular reforms will help restore confidence in the Court, strengthen our democracy, and ensure no one is above the law," Harris said. Biden’s op-ed references numerous Supreme Courtscandals in recent months related to undisclosed giftsand certain Justices’failure to recuse themselves from cases where there is an apparent conflict of interest. Biden also highlighted controversial opinions, including the [overturning of _Roe v. Wade_](https://time.com/6189476/abortion-supreme-court-overturns-roe-v-wade/)in 2022 and a 2024case that granted Presidents[significant immunity from prosecution](https://time.com/6994189/supreme-court-donald-trump-presidential-immunity-decision/) for official acts conducted in office. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a Democrat from New York, [introduced](https://time.com/6997811/impeaching-supreme-court-justice-judges-history/) articles of impeachment against Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito in mid-July, though that measure never advanced. Legislators have also previously introduced legislation to regulate Justices actions and disclosures. **Read More:** [_How Impeaching a Supreme Court Justice Works_](https://time.com/6997811/impeaching-supreme-court-justice-judges-history/) Here are the Supreme Courtreforms that Biden supports. ## **Constitutional amendment** **on immunity** Biden’s proposed constitutionalamendment, which he calls “No One is Above the Law,” would specify that presidents do not have immunity from any federal criminal indictment, trial, conviction, or sentencing for crimes they commit while in office. “I share our Founders’ belief that the president’s power is limited, not absolute. We are a nation of laws — not of kings or dictators,” Biden wrote. In a major decision in June, the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 along ideological lines that Presidents and former Presidents are [largely immune](https://time.com/6994189/supreme-court-donald-trump-presidential-immunity-decision/) from prosecution for official acts they conduct while in office, but not actions they took that aren’t part of their core job responsibilities. The case arose from a criminal case brought by the Justice Department against Donald Trump for his alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election in the final weeks of his presidency. Passing a new constitutional amendment requires clearing a very high bar; even to propose one requires a two-thirds vote in both houses of Congress or a request by two thirds of the states. The last amendment was ratified more than 30 years ago, in 1992\. ## **Term limits** The President also called for Congress to enact term limits for Justices, who are permitted to serve on the court for their lifetime. Biden is specifically supporting a system that would allow Presidents to appoint a Justice every two years, and allow each Justice to serve for 18 years on the Supreme Court. Justices currently serve an average of 16 years, though the longest-serving Justice served more than 30 years, [according to the Supreme Court](https://www.supremecourt.gov/about/faq%5Fjustices.aspx#:~:text=What%20is%20the%20average%20length,Justices%20have%20served%20is%2016.). In recent years, both Justices Antonin Scalia and [Ruth Bader Ginsburg](https://time.com/5660188/ruth-bader-ginsburg-dies/) died while on the bench, which contributed to fraught and political confirmation processes to replace them. Term limits, the [White House](https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/07/29/fact-sheet-president-biden-announces-bold-plan-to-reform-the-supreme-court-and-ensure-no-president-is-above-the-law/) said in a press release, would make nominations for the Court “more predictable and less arbitrary,” while also preventing a singular President from having “undue influence” over the court. ## **Code of conduct** Federal judges outside of the Supreme Court have abided by enforceable code of conduct rules [since 1973](https://www.uscourts.gov/judges-judgeships/code-conduct-united-states-judges). The Supreme Court adopted their [first-ever code of conduct](https://time.com/6983758/supreme-court-ethics-rules-enforced/) last November, though those guidelines were voluntary and unenforceable. Biden is now calling on Congress to pass binding ethics rules that would mandate Justices to disclose gifts, avoid political activity, and recuse themselves from cases where they or their spouses have conflicts of interests. Legal scholars have [previously questioned](https://time.com/6983758/supreme-court-ethics-rules-enforced/) the power Congress has to impose ethics rules and disciplinary actions on the Supreme Court. Legislators have sought to better regulate the actions of the Justices through the Supreme Court Ethics, Recusal, and Transparency (SCERT) Act, which was introduced in February 2023\. The bill [has not](https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/senate-bill/359) passed. There is a law that applies to Supreme Court Justices and other judges outlining when they must recuse themselves from cases. But “the problem with that current law is the enforcement mechanism for it is the Court decides for itself whether or not anybody should step aside,” Gerhardt says. And if Congress tries to go further, “it would be those provisions that could possibly be found \[to go\] beyond the Constitution.” ## Transcript [00:00] President Joe Biden is proposing some major changes to the Supreme Court. [00:04] That would include term limits for justices and enforceable code of ethics, [00:09] and even a constitutional amendment that would limit the recent Supreme Court decision [00:14] that gave former President Donald Trump and [00:16] all other presidents broad immunity from criminal prosecution. [00:19] All these proposals would require congressional approval, [00:22] which could be challenging in this era of a divided Congress. [00:27] Some of the details are still to be worked out. [00:30] Still, term limits have generally been broadly popular in polling. [00:35] This proposal would limit justices to 18 year terms. [00:39] The Supreme Court recently adopted its first formal code of ethics. [00:43] It doesn't have an enforcement mechanism, [00:45] and imposing one would present [00:47] some rather thorny legal questions about exactly who might do the enforcing. [00:52] Limiting or undoing the Supreme Court's recent decision regarding [00:56] presidential immunity would be a taller order in terms of approvals. [01:01] It would require two thirds from both the House and the Senate, [01:05] as well as eventually to be ratified by three quarters of state legislatures. [01:09] These proposals mark a major shift for Biden, [01:11] who was once head of the Senate Judiciary Committee and [01:14] has long resisted calls to reform the Supreme Court. [01:18] Still, they could focus voter attention in [01:20] what's expected to be a tight presidential race. [01:23] Several decisions from the Conservative majority Supreme Court [01:28] have outraged democratic voters, [01:30] including those regarding abortion rights and federal regulatory powers. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/7005019/joe-biden-supreme-court-reforms/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/7005019/joe-biden-supreme-court-reforms/"},"headline":"These Are the Supreme Court Reforms Biden Wants","datePublished":"2024-07-29T16:17:40.000Z","dateModified":"2026-10-19T07:45:11.890Z","description":"Term limits, a binding code of ethics, and a constitutional amendment on presidential immunity.","url":"https://time.com/7005019/joe-biden-supreme-court-reforms/","keywords":["Supreme Court","News","News Desk"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8ce94b25cdeab83a/698a5958b3fce381840cd6dd/GettyImages-2159014913.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Solcyré Burga","jobTitle":"Reporter","url":"https://time.com/author/solcyre-burga/"}],"articleSection":"Politics","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8ce94b25cdeab83a/698a5958b3fce381840cd6dd/GettyImages-2159014913.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"U.S. Supreme Court Issues Opinions As Term Draws To A Close","caption":"U.S. Supreme Court Issues Opinions As Term Draws To A Close","creditText":"Michael A. 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