News/Commentary

Justice Gorsuch warns about the radical Biden-Harris SCOTUS overhaul: ‘Be careful’

August 5, 2024 | | Print Article

Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch was asked about President Joe Biden’s proposed changes to the high court in response to decisions being made that his party disagrees with, and he responded with a stern message about being careful about what you wish for.

Gorsuch sat down with Fox News Sunday host Shannon Bream, who brought up Biden’s proposed Supreme Court overhaul.

“You are not in a bubble here at the courts. There are real-world events happening,” Bream said. “The president has proposed now changes to the court supported, it appears, by the vice president who looks like she’s going to be the Democratic nominee. How does the court feel about potential changes?”

“Now, Shannon, you’re not going to be surprised that I’m not going to get into what is now a political issue during a presidential election year. I don’t think that would be helpful,” Gorsuch replied.

“I have one thought to add, it is that the independent judiciary means — what does it mean to you as an American? It means that when you’re unpopular, you can get a fair hearing under the law and under the Constitution,” he said. “If you’re in the majority, you don’t need judges and juries to hear you and protect your rights, you’re popular.”

“It’s there for the moments when the spotlight’s on you, when the government’s coming after you. And don’t you want a ferociously independent judge and a jury of your peers to make those decisions? Isn’t that your right as an American?” Gorsuch continued. “And so I just say, be careful.”

The changes Biden called for include a constitutional amendment that “would make clear that there is no immunity for crimes a former president committed while in office.” A second suggestion from a man who spent nearly 50 years in office was limiting Supreme Court justices to 18-year terms, meaning presidents would nominate a new justice every two years. A third change was a code of ethics requiring justices “to disclose gifts, refrain from public political activity and recuse themselves from cases in which they or their spouses have financial or other conflicts of interest.”

Gorsuch was plugging a new book he coauthored, titled “Over Ruled: The Human Toll of Too Much Law,” and he told Shannon that while “we need laws to keep us free and safe,” having too many has resulted in people being put in a position where they are breaking the law without meaning to do something wrong.

“As a judge now for 18 years, I just came to see case after case in which ordinary Americans just trying to live their lives, not hurt anybody, raise their families, were just getting whacked by laws unexpectedly,” he said.

Here’s a quick sampling of responses to the story, as seen on the social media platform X:

Tom Tillison
Latest posts by Tom Tillison (see all)

Comment

We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. If a comment is spam, instead of replying to it please click the ∨ icon below and to the right of that comment. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.

Latest Articles