Senate committee advances legislation requiring Supreme Court to establish code of ethics

Supreme Court ethics legislation overview: 

• Who: The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee voted 11-10 along party lines last week to advance a full Senate legislation requiring the Supreme Court to establish a code of ethics. 
• Why: Democrats have praised the bill as a way to increase transparency among Supreme Court justices and strengthen its ethical standards; Republicans argue it is a way to intimidate and harass the justices.  
• Where: Nationwide.

The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee voted 11-10 last week to advance legislation requiring the Supreme Court to establish a code of ethics and follow new recusal requirements, drawing the wrath of Republicans. 

The vote in favor of the Supreme Court Ethics, Recusal and Transparency Act, which followed party lines, was condemned by Republicans as an effort to intimidate and harass the Supreme Court justices, Law360 reports. 

Per the decision, the high court will now be required to create a code of conduct that its justices must abide by that will be published online alongside a system where individuals are able to file claims alleging violations of said code. 

The committee also voted to reject several amendments that had been proposed by the GOP that would have enabled federal judges to carry firearms as well as criminalized any leaks of confidential court information, according to Law360.

Any complaints filed against the justices would then reportedly be reviewed and investigated by a five-person panel of randomly selected circuit court chief judges, who would give guidance on how to move forward.

Republicans call bill ‘very partisan,’ suggest it could be used to take power away from Supreme Court justices

Democrats praised the bill, which was introduced in February by Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., as a way to increase transparency within the high court and strengthen its ethical standards, Law360 reports. 

Republicans, meanwhile, criticized the bill, reportedly calling it “very partisan” and suggested it could be used by any individual to take power away from the Supreme Court justices, referring to it as a “court-killing machine.” 

The bill also describes situations in which a Supreme Court justice would have to disqualify themselves from a case, including instances when someone involved in the matter had either lobbied or spent funds in support of a justices nomination or confirmation to the court, according to Law360. 

The Supreme Court made a number of decisions earlier this month in the lead up to its annual summer recess, including about student loan forgiveness and whether a state has the ability to set its own rules for federal elections, among other things. 

Do you agree with the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee? Let us know in the comments! 

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