Majority of Republicans support Supreme Court reforms in Biden’s proposal: Poll

Most Republicans support the policy proposals in President Biden’s plan to reform the Supreme Court, according to a new USA Today/Ipsos poll.

Biden outlined a three-pronged approach to reforming the high court in a speech last month, calling for a binding code of conduct, 18-year term limits for Supreme Court justices, and a Constitutional amendment declaring no one — not even the president — is above the law.

The latest poll shows 70 percent of Republicans support a binding code of conduct for justices that would require disclosure of gifts, prohibit involvement in political activity, and mandate recusal from cases involving conflicts of interest for themselves or their spouses.

Slimmer majorities of Republicans support the constitutional amendment proposal (54 percent) and the term limits proposal (51 percent).

Total support among respondents for the code of conduct is 76 percent, including 89 percent of Democrats and 75 percent of independents.

For the constitutional amendment, overall support is at 70 percent, with 89 percent of Democrats and 72 percent of independents supporting the reform.

For term limits, 63 percent of total respondents support the reform, including 83 percent of Democrats and 61 percent of independents.

When respondents were asked whether they support the reforms, they were not told Biden proposed them.

Biden announced the proposals at a speech last month at the LBJ Presidential Library. He used his remarks to warn against the dangers of an “extreme” and polarized court, arguing it would undo civil rights protections and grant excessive powers to future presidents.

“I have great respect for our institutions, the separation of powers laid out in our Constitution,” Biden said in his remarks late last month. “What’s happening now is not consistent with that doctrine of separation of powers. Extremism is undermining the public confidence in the court’s decisions.” 

He cited a slew of recent Supreme Court opinions that he said “have undermined long-established civil rights principles and protections.”

He pointed to the 2013 Shelby County case that gutted aspects of the Voting Rights Act; the 2022 ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade; the 2023 ruling that ended affirmative action; and this year’s ruling that granted wide immunity to presidents for official acts taken while in office. 

“This nation was founded on the principle there are no kings in America,” Biden said. “Each of us legally follows the law. No one is above the law. For all practical purposes, the court’s decision almost certainly means that a president can violate their oath, flout our laws and face no consequences.” 

The poll also comes as confidence in the court remains historically low, with more Americans, especially Democrats, saying they see the justices driven by partisan interests.

The Supreme Court has also been subject to recent scandals involving the justices, including reports of conservative Justice Clarence Thomas accepting luxury trips and gifts from a billionaire and Republican mega-donor, though the controversies have implicated justices in both ideological camps. 

The poll was conducted Aug. 2-4 and included 1,024 respondents, including 282 Republicans, 324 Democrats and 310 independents. The margin of error for all respondents is 3.2 percentage points.