Planned Parenthood Federation of America warned on Sunday that the federal courts have been “fully captured” by conservatives and called for court packing and term limits to stop the judges’ “dangerous agenda against abortion rights, voting rights, LGBTQ+ rights, and so much more.”
PPFA published a press release over the weekend announcing “support for a number of additional policies to reform our federal courts.”
The group claimed its proposed court reforms promote an “equitable judiciary” that is “essential for maintaining a critical foundation of a just democracy.”
PPFA called for expanding the number of justice on the U.S. Supreme Court to reflect the nation’s population growth and increased diversity since 1837 – the last time SCOTUS was expanded. However, the group did not specify how many justices it believes should sit on the bench.
It also argued that justices are serving longer terms than their predecessors and requested that term limits be enacted.
PPFA proposed imposing ethics and transparency requirements for SCOTUS, contending that justices are not currently required to “follow a binding code of conduct.”
The group claimed that justices could be vulnerable to outside influences.
“Justices aren’t prevented from owning and trading stocks, have poorly defined rules around accepting gifts — and there are no clear consequences for most unethical behavior,” PPFA stated.
In addition to expanding SCOTUS, Planned Parenthood demanded additional judges be added to lower courts.
“The federal judiciary is increasingly overburdened and there aren’t enough judges to keep up with the growing U.S. population and caseloads,” the group added.
Lastly, PPFA proposed ending single-judge divisions, alleging that the practice has allowed interest groups to “pick and choose where to file cases.”
“Interest groups can shop for judges who align with their views — often judges they’ve helped get confirmed — and then deliberately send them cases, knowing they will decide against reproductive freedom, gender equity, LGBTQ+ liberation, access to health care, and civil liberties,” the group said.
On Sunday, president and CEO of PPFA Alexis McGill Johnson told MSNBC host and former Biden administration press secretary Jen Psaki that the federal courts have been “completely captured” by conservative members.
“The fight to strengthen our democracy and bolster our institutions has always been intertwined with the fight for reproductive freedom,” McGill Johnson claimed. “As we continue to face unrelenting attacks on our basic freedoms, our courts must be one backstop to protecting our rights. Instead, the courts have been used as a vehicle to advance a dangerous agenda against abortion rights, voting rights, LGBTQ+ rights, and so much more.”
“Planned Parenthood refuses to accept that our courts can only exist as they do now and understands that reforms are integral to building the public’s trust that the courts can and will function to uphold hard-won freedoms and advance justice for future generations,” she added.
Planned Parenthood unveils its first-ever call for SCOTUS reform
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