OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
Hawaii Democrat Sen. Mazie Hirono is calling for term limits for U.S. Supreme Court justices.
During an interview on MSNBC’s “Hallie Jackson Reports,” Hirono — who said she supported banning justices having lifetime appointments — was asked about the House and Senate Judiciary committees holding hearings on the Supreme Court’s shadow docket.
Hirono said, “A lot of people don’t know what the shadow docket is. I think we’ll be hearing from scholars as to the abuse of the shadow docket by this Supreme Court because they’ve used the shadow docket to do the thing they just did, basically to overturn Roe v. Wade, 28 times in the Trump years and only four during the entire times of Bush and Obama. So there is in my view the abuse of power of the shadow docket and what’s going to happen probably is more calls for court reform.”
She continued, “We’re going to do everything we can to codify Roe v. Wade at the federal level but also at the state level because it’s the state legislators that are very busy, passing hundreds and hundreds of abortion limiting laws across the country and that is why people need to vote. They need to have legislators who are going to impose these kinds of draconian laws on women across the country, creating chaos, fear, chilling effect. We see what’s happening in Texas already.”
Hirono added, “Why should anyone have lifetime appointments to any job? Therefore as part of the hearing on the shadow docket, I think there will be calls for term limits on the Supreme Court. I would support that kind of debate and discussion. We need court reform. It could term limits by increasing the number of justices on the court. It definitely means applying ethical standards.”
Jackson asked, “You said you would support the debate and discussion on that. Would you support term limits itself?”
Hirono said, “Pretty much I would because, as I say, who gets a lifetime appointment or job security for anything? Why should the court be exempted? That’s been my view for a while. We should have a debate on it.”
WATCH:
The U.S. Supreme Court rejected an emergency appeal to block a Texas law prohibiting most abortions.
In a 5-4 vote, the Court refused to step in to block a Texas law prohibiting most abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy.
The measure is arguably one of the most pro-life laws in the country.
Justices Brett Kavanaugh, Amy Coney Barrett, Neil Gorsuch, Clarence Thomas, and Samuel Alito voted in the majority to uphold the Texas abortion ban.
The House Democrats, led by Speaker and California Rep. Nancy Pelosi, are taking aim at the Supreme Court in a new bill they plan to advance.
John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, also known as H.R. 4, seeks not only to change voting laws at the federal level but apparently looks to undercut the power of the Supreme Court.
