Is reforming SCOTUS still on the menu?

President Joe Biden still has six months left in office before a new POTUS is sworn in. Whether the new commander-in-chief is Kamala Harris or a re-elected Donald Trump, Biden has several key priorities for the remainder of his term.

Biden Is Sticking Around

While he won’t be running in November, Biden has vowed to stick around. And he has emphasized that he doesn’t see himself as a lame duck. The president said in a recent statement that he is “determined to get as much done as I possibly can, both foreign policy and domestic policy.”

In particular, Biden has stated he will be focused on gun control, expanded healthcare for elders, better childcare services, reducing the price of prescription drugs, fighting to reimplement wider abortion access, and combating climate change. This boilerplate list fits squarely into the vice president’s own plans and rhetoric on the campaign trail, and any success by Biden on these matters would redound to her political benefit as well.

Expanding the Supreme Court?

Biden also has ambitious plans for reforming the Supreme Court. He is expected to push for term limits and a new code of ethics, with the proposal reportedly landing in a July 29 announcement. In addition, the president is apparently working out how to limit the impact of the recent Court decision on presidential immunity. As Politico reports:

“Biden is also expected to push for a constitutional amendment limiting immunity for presidents and certain other officeholders, in a response to the court’s July 1 ruling that presidents are shielded from prosecution for ‘official acts’ during their time in office, in a case brought by former President Donald Trump…

“Biden is expected to call for the overhaul during a trip to Texas, where he’s set to speak at the Lyndon Baines Johnson presidential library in Austin.”

Biden has slammed the conservative-leaning Supreme Court, blaming it for returning the legality of abortion to the states instead of keeping it protected at the federal level. He has also criticized the Supreme Court for its rulings against affirmative action, gun control, and for not doing enough to hold Justice Clarence Thomas to account for alleged corruption and accepting gifts and trips from conservative donors. Making changes to the Court is “critical to our democracy,” according to comments made by Biden during a White House address on July 24.

The Bottom Line: Six More Months of Biden

Reforming the Supreme Court will most likely involve legislation that wouldn’t come anywhere close to being passed until at least the end of the year – or an amendment to the Constitution, which would be an even heavier lift. Nonetheless, Biden’s focus on Supreme Court reform and doubling down on Democratic priorities is likely to generate momentum in the base and help Harris in her attempt to get to the Oval Office.

Promising “historic results for the American people,” Biden has made it clear he has no plans to resign, resisting Republican calls to step down immediately if he doesn’t feel well enough or up to the task of running for re-election. Biden insists he is both capable and eager to move forward with Democratic priorities for the remainder of his time in office. Even if he is limited in terms of how much he can get done outside of legislative chambers and difficult amendments, voters can expect Biden to echo and intensify Democratic messaging against the GOP, against Trump and against conservative Americans.