Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., has been vocal about the need for significant changes to the U.S. Supreme Court. In a series of social media posts, she called for 'radically' altering the high court by expanding the number of justices, implementing a binding code of ethics, and imposing term limits.
Omar emphasized the urgency of reforming the 'broken' Supreme Court, stating that 'SCOTUS reform is on the ballot in November.' While the Supreme Court currently consists of nine justices, some lawmakers, including Omar, advocate for increasing the number of seats, a move that critics refer to as court packing.
In 2020, after the Senate confirmed Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court, Omar tweeted her support for expanding the court. She and other Democrats have backed proposed legislation that would add four seats to the Supreme Court, expanding it from nine to 13. However, the Judiciary Act of 2023, which includes this provision, has not yet been brought up for a vote.
Currently, three of the nine sitting justices on the Supreme Court were nominated by former President Donald Trump: Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett. The most recent addition to the court is Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, nominated by President Joe Biden in 2022 and confirmed by the Senate the same year.
Unlike presidents and members of Congress, Supreme Court justices do not face term limits. The Constitution specifies that judges, both of the supreme and inferior Courts, shall hold their Offices during good Behaviour.
