Bill would impose stronger ethics standards on Supreme Court justices
Senate Judiciary Committee weighs ethics rules for Supreme Court amid conflict of interest concerns
The Senate Judiciary Committee is considering ethics rules for the Supreme Court. It comes in the wake of several revelations about justices interactions with wealthy donors and other potential conflicts of interest.
CHICAGO - The Senate Judiciary Committee is considering ethics rules for the Supreme Court.
It comes in the wake of several revelations about justice's interactions with wealthy donors and other potential conflicts of interest.
The legislation would impose new ethics rules and a process to enforce them, including transparency around recusals, gifts and other ethical dilemmas.
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Republicans and Democrats are divided on the issue.
"To require the same level of disclosure by Supreme Court justices as every other federal court judge, I don't think is unreasonable or really something we should apologize for," said Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin, D-Ill.
"This is one of those messaging bills that the Democrats like to do: throw a bill out there, try to delegitimize the court, so we can pack the court, reshape the court," said U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn.
The bill is likely to pass the committee, and perhaps the closely Democratic-controlled Senate, but is likely a much tougher sell in the Republican-controlled House.