Following the US Supreme Court’s rejection of President Biden’s student debt relief plan, Representatives Ro Khanna and Don Beyer reintroduced The Supreme Court Term Limits and Regular Appointments Act of 2021, that seeks to create a 18-year term limit for justices appointed to the court.

According to a release, a recent poll showed that only 37 per cent of Americans have confidence in the Supreme Court while 68 per cent support term limits for Supreme Court justices. The proposed legislation, which aims to restore judicial independence, states that after their 18-year terms, justices would be allowed to continue their service in lower courts.

Commenting on the bill’s significance, Indian American Representative Ro Khanna said,“Our Founding Fathers intended for lifetime appointments to ensure impartiality. The decision today demonstrates how justices have become partisan and out of step with the American public. I am proud to reintroduce The Supreme Court Term Limits and Regular Appointments Act to implement term limits to rebalance the Court and stop extreme partisanship.”

Rep. Beyer also joined Khanna on stating the implication of the ruling on the student borrowers. “I have long supported reforming the Supreme Court to limit terms to end lifetime tenures and ensure the Court remains a fair and impartial arbiter of justice. Our bill would achieve this and help restore balance to a heavily politicized Court,” he added.

Reps. Barbara Lee, Rashida Tlaib, Adam Schiff, Katie Porter, Sean Casten. and John Garamendi also extended their support in favour of the bill.