Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch had little to say when asked about President Biden’s proposals to overhaul the Supreme Court, but he did deliver a brief message.
When asked by “Fox News Sunday” host Shannon Bream about Biden’s suggestions for changes to the Supreme Court, Gorsuch said he did not want to get into “what is now a political issue during a presidential election year.” He then continued, however, stressing the importance of an “independent judiciary,” particularly for those who are unpopular.
“It’s there for the moments when the spotlight’s on you, when the government’s coming after you. And don’t you want a ferociously independent judge and a jury of your peers to make those decisions? Isn’t that your right as an American?” Gorsuch said. “And so I just say, be careful.”
Biden and Vice President Harris are calling on Congress to impose term limits and a code of conduct on the Supreme Court while also drafting limits on presidential immunity, a White House official said in late July.
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During the interview, Gorsuch also discussed how he believes there are too many laws in the U.S., to the point where it can be difficult for people – and the government – to keep track of them all.
The justice, who co-authored a book titled “Over Ruled: The Human Toll of Too Much Law,” said that while “we need laws to keep us free and safe,” having too many has resulted in people committing violations without even meaning to do something wrong.
“As a judge now for 18 years, I just came to see case after case in which ordinary Americans just trying to live their lives, not hurt anybody, raise their families, were just getting whacked by laws unexpectedly,” Gorsuch said.
Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch attends a formal investiture ceremony for a local judge at the Washington County Courthouse, March 11, 2022, in Hagerstown, Maryland. (Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis via Getty Images)
Gorsuch further illustrated his point by citing problems Americans have had when seeking information from the IRS hotline.
“It turns out for a period of time they were giving wrong answers about a third of the time,” Gorsuch told host Shannon Bream. He said when asked how this happened, they said the tax code had gotten so complex.
Neil Gorsuch and other members of the Supreme Court arrive for President Biden’s State of the Union address at the U.S. Capitol on March 7, 2024. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
Gorsuch also addressed how he approached conflicts with other branches of government.
“The answer, is the Constitution,” he said.
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The Trump appointee also noted the need for Americans to be able to trust each other, and that not everything needs to be solved by a distant government.
“My good friend [retired Justice] Stephen Breyer says, ‘If I listen to almost anyone talk for long enough, I’m gonna find something they say that we can agree on,'” Gorsuch said. “Maybe we should start there.”
Fox News’ Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report.