PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden introduced a bill on Thursday that would bring fundamental changes to the nation’s high court, including adding six additional seats and forcing all justices to have their tax returns publicly disclosed.
The senator’s office said the Judicial Modernization and Transparency Act aims to “restore balance among the three branches of government, increase transparency to improve public trust in America’s courts, and modernize the courts to ensure greater access to justice for more Americans.”
Wyden says he introduced the bill to overhaul the court in the face of its “legitimacy crisis.”
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He also acknowledged that the bill very likely will not pass, but hopes portions of the bill will eventually be implemented to bring about “some balance,” according to a statement obtained by The Washington Post.
Senator Ron Wyden, a Democrat from Oregon, speaks to members of the media in the Senate subway at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, US, on Thursday, June 1, 2023. (Sarah Silbiger/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Among the proposed changes, the bill would expand the court from nine to 15 justices over the course of three presidential terms and would allow the president to appoint one nominee in the first and third years of each presidential term. The bill would also create a process whereby the a nominee is automatically scheduled for a vote if too much time passes (180 days) between the nomination and any significant action.
In addition to expanding the court, the bill would return the practice of assigning a justice to oversee each circuit, expand the number of circuits by splitting the Ninth Circuit, and create a new Southwestern Circuit.
Under the bill, the Supreme Court would need a supermajority to overturn acts of Congress.
“The Supreme Court is in crisis and bold solutions are necessary to restore the public trust,” Wyden said. “More transparency, more accountability and more checks on a power hungry Supreme Court are just what the American people are asking for.”
There are also several provisions in the bill that aim to restore trust and transparency in the high court — including making opinions available to the public and allowing justices to vote to recuse another justice from a case.
Additionally, the IRS would be required to audit each justice’s income tax return and publicly release them.
The bill comes as some lawmakers, including Sen. Wyden, have raised ethics concerns over transparency in the court after Justice Clarence Thomas failed to disclose luxury trips with GOP megadonor Harlan Crowe.
In early August, Wyden sent a letter to Crowe’s attorney requesting travel and financial records.
As reported by The Associated Press, Crowe’s spokesperson Michael Zona said he has always followed tax laws, adding, “It’s concerning that Senator Wyden is abusing his committee’s powers as part of a politically motivated campaign against the Supreme Court.”
