Durbin: Since The Court has not Acted on Ethics Reform, Congress Will

Press Release

"The Supreme Court is now on recess--at home with their families and traveling on vacation. I wish them many sunny days, but even if the sun is shining, there is still a shadow over the Supreme Court. For several months now, there's been a steady flow of reports documenting how the members of our nation's highest Court have failed to live up to the public trust that they have been given.

The solution to the problems we're seeing at the Supreme Court is a simple one. They need--like every other [federal] court in America--to adopt an enforceable code of ethics. Every federal judge in the country is bound by a code of ethical conduct and a set of ethics rules and enforcement mechanisms except for nine--the nine Justices of the Supreme Court who sit across the street from this building.

Next week, the Senate Judiciary Committee, which I chair, will vote on the Supreme Court Ethics, Recusal, and Transparency Act. This bill, introduced by Senator Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, would require the Supreme Court to adopt an enforceable code of conduct. It would also add new recusal and transparency requirements under federal law. The legislation does not distinguish between Justices appointed by a Democratic president or a Republican president. It requires a code of conduct enforceable against all Justices… I sincerely hope before that time Chief Justice Roberts will step up and accept the responsibility for his Supreme Court to establish credible standards of integrity."

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