1. United States
2. Texas
3. Letter

The Senate Judiciary Committee has been actively pursuing judicial ethics reform, but Senate Republicans are obstructing their efforts. Specifically, Senate Republicans recently blocked a unanimous consent request by Chairman Durbin to pass the Supreme Court Ethics, Recusal, and Transparency (SCERT) Act. This legislation would require Supreme Court justices to adopt a binding code of conduct, create mechanisms to investigate ethical violations, improve disclosure of potential conflicts of interest, and mandate explanations for recusal decisions. Despite mounting evidence of ethical lapses by certain justices, like accepting lavish gifts and failing to recuse themselves from cases where impartiality could reasonably be questioned, Congress has been prevented from enacting desperately needed reforms. However, public pressure could compel Senate Republicans to stop impeding this crucial legislation aimed at restoring trust and accountability in the nation's highest court.