Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden said Monday he opposes term limits for Supreme Court justices amid the controversy over Amy Coney Barrett’s nomination.
“No. There is a question about whether or not — it’s a lifetime appointment. I’m not going to try to change that at all,” Biden told reporters during a brief campaign stop in Chester, Pa., near his home in Wilmington, Del.
But some Democrats are eager to see court reforms as President Trump prepares to have his third nominee to the Supreme Court confirmed.
Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) recently unveiled a bill to cap tenures for justices at 18 years.
Biden has refused to take a position on adding justices to the high court if he’s elected but says he’ll appoint a bipartisan commission to study court reforms.
“There’s some literature among constitutional scholars about the possibility of going from one court to another court and not always staying on the Supreme Court. But I have made no judgment,” the former vice president said.
“They’re just a group of serious constitutional scholars with a number of ideas about how we should proceed from this point on. And that’s what we’ll be doing. I’ll give them 180 days, God willing, if I’m elected and the time I’m sworn in to make such a recommendation.”
The GOP-controlled Senate is set to vote to confirm Barrett later Monday evening, followed by a swearing-in ceremony at the White House. Democrats have cried foul over Republicans confirming a justice so close to a presidential election, which is now eight days away.