Durbin Highlights the Supreme Court's Ethical Crisis on the Senate Floor

Floor Speech

“No other federal judge could get by with what Clarence Thomas did to receive millions of dollars’ worth of travel and gifts and not report them publicly. I don't accept that as routine. I think it is an aberration and reflects poorly on the Court and its integrity. It is time for change. President Biden is saying that today. I'll study his detailed suggestion, but I certainly agree with him that the nine people serving on the U.S. Supreme Court should not be treated differently than any other federal judges when it comes to transparency and accountability for their actions.

If the Court is going to have any credibility when it comes to its integrity, it must reflect that in its actions. Receiving and failing to report gifts of that magnitude is an embarrassment to the whole nation. The Republicans should get on board [and join] the bipartisan effort. We passed an ethics bill in the Senate Judiciary Committee. It was authored by Senator Whitehouse of Rhode Island. It's pending on the calendar. It should be called this year—the sooner the better. An ethics code on the Supreme Court that applies the same standards, laws, and procedures to the highest court in the land as we apply to every other agency of government, including every other court."

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