Rep. Lee calls for Supreme Court overhaul
`I have never been more fearful for the future of our highest court than I am today'
Flanked by local leaders, U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee called for a radical overhaul of the U.S. Supreme Court at a press conference in Oakland on Sunday, calling the way the court currently operates “a crisis of democracy”.
The reforms would include adding justices, creating term limits, and investigating ethics violations. The nation's highest court, which has a conservative majority, currently has nine justices serving lifetime appointments.
Lee, a Democrat who represents the East Bay in Congress and is vying to succeed Dianne Feinstein in the Senate, said the reforms were imperative for continued public trust in the court, which has faced criticism from progressives after a series of ethics scandals and controversial rulings, most notably the decision to overturn Roe vs. Wade, the nation's landmark abortion law.
“I have never been more fearful for the future of our highest court than I am today,” Lee said.
The event in Oakland was the second California stop in a series of stops as part of a campaign for what advocates are calling a “Just Majority.” The campaign, sponsored by a coalition of over 30 progressive activist groups, alleges that justices are “basing their decisions on politics and not the law.”
Over the past few months, reporting has uncovered a series of ethics scandals surrounding conservative justices. Justice Clarence Thomas reportedly accepted luxury vacations from a Republican mega-donor for years, and Justice Neil Gorsuch allegedly sold property to one of the country's largest law firms, which frequently argues before the Supreme Court.
Democrats were also angry with Republicans for blocking former President Barack Obama's Supreme Court nominee, Merrick Garland, before pushing through their own, Amy Coney Barrett.
But Republicans have criticized the idea of expanding
the number of justices as court packing.
Lee is one of many progressive voices now advocating for Congress to expand the Supreme Court. On Sunday, she described the court's current situation as beholden to an “unethical, unaccountable conservative majority,” and made the case that adding justices would not be without precedent. The number of justices has changed
multiple times, although not since 1869.
“This is not some new, radical idea,” Lee said.
Her appearance comes as some insiders have speculated that she could be tapped to fill Feinstein's Senate seat, were she to resign before her term ends in January 2025. A frail Feinstein recently returned to Washington, D.C., after a prolonged battle with shingles and resulting complications.
Lee has already said she would accept the position, should Gov. Gavin Newsom, who promised to appoint a Black woman if Feinstein stepped down early, choose her. The field will be more crowded if Feinstein completes her term. There are already several other candidates gearing up to run for the rarely open seat, including Democratic Reps. Adam Schiff and Katie Porter.