'Be careful': Neil Gorsuch warns Biden against plans to 'reform' Supreme Court

On Sunday, Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch pushed back against President Biden over his recent plans to "reform" the high court, warning him to "Be careful." 

The comments were made during an interview on Fox News Sunday with host Shannon Bream, during which Justice Gorsuch, 56, advised against the progressive push for deep reforms to the court, which serves as a last line of defense for Americans seeking a fair trial against the government.

Biden, 81, unveiled a SCOTUS reform package on Monday that was endorsed by Vice President Kamala Harris, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee. The package includes 18-year term limits for Supreme Court justices, a constitutional amendment to overturn presidential immunity, and an enforceable code of ethics.

 

"How does the court feel about potential changes?" Bream asked Gorsuch, the first of three justices appointed by President Trump to the high court.

"You're not going to be surprised that I'm not going to get into what is now a political issue during a presidential election year. I don't think that would be helpful," said Gorsuch, who proceeded to state the importance of an independent judiciary.

"The independent judiciary...What does it mean to you as an American?" Gorsuch continued. "It means that when you're unpopular, you can get a fair hearing."

"If you're in the majority, you don't need judges and juries to hear you, to protect your rights, if you're popular. It's there for the moment when the spotlight's on you - when the government's coming after you. And don't you want a ferociously independent judge and jury of your peers to make those decisions?" said Gorsuch.

Progressive democratic lawmakers have called for changes to the Supreme Court since Trump appointed three justices during his tenure that resulted in a series of high-profile losses for the Democrats, such as the overturning of Roe v. Wade and the presidential immunity ruling in Biden's case J6 case against Trump.

President Biden initially opposed the push to reform the Supreme Court, but he has since changed his mind and presented a long-shot series of proposals that he expects to see implemented during his lame duck term. However, the reforms require bipartisan support, thus their chances of passing in the legislature are minimal.