House Democrats have introduced a bill that would place term limits on Supreme Court justices.
Georgia Rep. Hank Johnson introduced the “Supreme Court Tenure Establishment and Retirement Modernization (TERM) Act” on Tuesday.
The bill attempts to change federal law and place an 18-year term limit on Supreme Court justices.
It would authorize the president to nominate Supreme Court justices in the first and third years of their presidency.
Justices nominated and confirmed would then serve a maximum 18 years on the bench before retiring.
The legislation says current justices would “assume senior status in order of length of service on the Court as regularly appointed justices receive their commissions,” according to a press release.
If the number of justices on the bench were to fall below the required nine due “to vacancy, disability, or disqualification,” the justice who most recently attained senior status would be expected to step in as an associate justice.
The bill was co-sponsored by Reps. Jerry Nadler, David Cicilline, Sheila Jackson Lee, Steve Cohen, Karen Bass, and Ro Khanna.
“This Supreme Court is increasingly facing a legitimacy crisis,” Johnson said.
“Five of the six conservative justices on the bench were appointed by presidents who lost the popular vote, and they are now racing to impose their out-of-touch agenda on the American people, who do not want it,” he added.
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island is introducing a similar bill in the Senate.
Many Republicans believe the push for a term limit comes from Democrats’ frustration with the court’s recent decisions.
“When the Democrats get their way on rulings, they’re happy with the Supreme Court. When they don’t get their way, they want to pack the Supreme Court. They want to change the Supreme Court,” said Rep. Steve Scalise Wednesday.