Democrats Introduce Bill to Cap Supreme Court Terms at 18 Years

Led by Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Senate Democrats introduced a bill on Aug. 2 to limit the tenure of Supreme Court justices, who currently serve for life, to 18 years.

The proposed legislation comes as Democrats fume over recent decisions by the court that returned the regulation of abortion to the states, expanded gun rights, and curbed the government’s environmental regulatory powers. The legislation has little chance of passing with a polarized 50/50 Senate and congressional elections just three months away, but it is likely to resurface in the next Congress.

The proposed Supreme Court Tenure Establishment and Retirement Modernization (TERM) Act is co-sponsored by Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), and Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii).

“The Supreme Court is facing a crisis of legitimacy,” Booker said in a press release.

“This crisis is the result of radical rulings that discard years of legal precedent and that are at odds with the views of the American people, ethical lapses, and the politicization of the Supreme Court confirmation process by Senate Republicans intent on using raw political power to transform the Court,” Booker said.

“The American people have lost confidence in our nation’s Highest Court and, in turn, our democracy. Fundamental changes are urgently needed to restore trust in the institution. Setting term limits would create predictability and lower the stakes of future confirmation proceedings, de-politicizing the Court.”

Although conservatives have welcomed the Supreme Court’s rightward turn, a Gallup poll last month reported that Americans’ confidence in the Supreme Court has hit an all-time low of 25 percent, down 11 points since 2021.

“Term limits will help restore credibility and trust to our nation’s highest court,” said Blumenthal. “Detached from the public and more politicized than ever, the Supreme Court will continue to face a crisis of legitimacy without fundamental reform.”

The legislation