Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch said little when asked about President Biden’s proposed reforms to the Supreme Court, but he did deliver a brief message.
When asked by “Fox News Sunday” host Shannon Bream about Biden’s proposed Supreme Court reforms, Gorsuch said he didn’t want to get into “something that’s become politicized in an election year,” but went on to stress the importance of “judicial independence,” especially with unpopular judges.
“It’s there for the high-profile moments and the government coming after you. And wouldn’t you want that decision to be made by an independent judge and a jury of your own rank? Isn’t that your right as an American?” Gorsuch said. “So I just say, be careful.”
A White House official said in late July that President Biden and Vice President Harris are calling on Congress to impose term limits and codes of conduct on the Supreme Court, and are also drafting limits on presidential immunity.
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During the interview, Gorsuch also said he believes the United States has too many laws, making it difficult for people and the government to keep track of them all.
The judge, who co-authored the book “Over Ruled: The Human Toll of Too Much Law,” said that “we need laws to be able to keep us free and safe,” but that too many laws can lead people to break them without intending to do anything wrong.
“I’ve been a judge for 18 years, and I’ve seen case after case where ordinary Americans are just trying to live their lives, not hurt anybody, trying to provide for their families, and all of a sudden they’re hit by the law,” Gorsuch said.
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Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch attends the official swearing-in ceremony for local judges at the Washington County Courthouse in Hagerstown, Maryland, on March 11, 2022. (Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis via Getty Images)
Gorsuch further elaborated on his argument, citing problems Americans have experienced when seeking information from IRS hotlines.
“It turns out that at one point they were getting the answer wrong about a third of the time,” Gorsuch told host Shannon Bream. When asked why this had happened, he said it was because the tax code had become too complicated.
Justice Neil Gorsuch and other Supreme Court justices arrive to attend President Biden’s State of the Union address on March 7, 2024, at the U.S. Capitol. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
Gorsuch also spoke about how he has handled conflicts with other branches of government.
“The answer is the Constitution,” he said.
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The Trump appointee also stressed the need for Americans to trust one another and that not everything needs to be solved by far-away governments.
“My good friend [retired Justice] “Stephen Breyer has said, ‘If you listen to anybody long enough, you’ll find something you agree on,'” Gorsuch said. “Maybe we should start there.”
Fox News’ Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report.
