Staff Reports
Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) is not happy with Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito. In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Alito spoke out against a pending ethics reform bill that Senate Democrats are trying to impose on the Supreme Court. Durbin wasted no time calling out Alito for his comments. According to Durbin, Alito is overstepping his boundaries by commenting on a bill that is still being considered in Congress. Durbin even went as far as to say that Alito is not a member of the Senate and therefore should not be commenting on their legislative activities. Ouch!
But Durbin is not letting this go without a fight. As the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, he is pushing forward with the Supreme Court ethics bill. This bill would require justices to follow a new code of conduct and establish a process for filing ethics complaints against them. It would also force justices and their staff to disclose their gifts, travel, and income just like members of Congress have to do. In other words, Durbin wants to hold the Supreme Court to the same standards as Congress.
.@SenatorDurbin condemned Justice Samuel Alito’s argument that Congress has no authority over the Supreme Court as Senate Democrats look to impose ethics rules.
"Let’s be clear: Justice Alito is not the 101st member of the United States Senate," he said.https://t.co/pxzTSCDhnu
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) August 3, 2023
And Alito’s recent vacation with a GOP megadonor is not helping his case. He failed to disclose this vacation, leading to accusations of impropriety. Alito defended himself by saying that Congress has no authority to regulate the Supreme Court, but Durbin is not buying it. He believes that the ethical conduct of Supreme Court justices is a serious matter and that the court should be held accountable.
It looks like this battle between Durbin and Alito is far from over. Senate Democrats plan to continue pushing the ethics reform bill when they return from their August recess. Alito better watch out the next time he wants to take a private plane to a fancy fishing trip. Durbin will be there to make sure he asks the right questions and follows his ethical obligations.
