Congress and the Judiciary: What the House and Senate Can Do to Fix the Courts
Court reform is moving to the forefront of political discourse. On the 2020 presidential campaign trail, candidates are putting forth proposals on how to fix the federal courts. Last week, the Senate forced reform of its post-cloture debate time for judicial nominees, limiting debate time to two hours to address the large backlog of court vacancies. And last year, the confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh set a new precedent for the politicization of both the confirmation process and Americans’ view of our judicial system.
Where does Congress hold power to initiate court reform? Are term limits the answer to court politicization? Is court packing a viable modernization route?
Join the American Institutions Network and the Legislative Branch Capacity Working Group for a lunch discussion over which our distinguished panel of scholars will wrestle with these questions and discuss steps Congress can take to ensure the health of America’s judiciary.
In preparation for the event, please feel free to read this policy paper, The Supreme Court’s Legitimacy Dilemma, by Tara Leigh Grove. This forthcoming publication will act as the foundation for today’s panel discussion.
Panelists
Gabe Roth
Executive Director, Fix the Court
Anthony Marcum
Judicial Research Associate, Governance Project
R Street Institute
Dylan Hedtler-Gaudette
External Affairs Associate, Project on Government Oversight
Dr. Tara Leigh Grove
Professor of Law, William & Mary Law School, specialized in Civil Procedure; Constitutional Law; Federal Courts; Statutory Interpretation
Please RSVP. *Lunch provided while supplies last*
RSVP Here.
