周四，民主党推动改革最高法院的步伐加快了：一个具有影响力的中左翼智库发布了一份计划，旨在限制大法官的任期并规范他们的行为。该计划首先由“Third Way”组织向《Politico》杂志披露，凸显了民主党内部不同意识形态派别之间在推动最高法院重大改革方面的共识日益增强。当前，美国民众对最高法院的信任度正处于历史最低水平。
Democratic efforts to revamp the Supreme Court gained momentum Thursday as an influential center-left think tank released a plan to limit justices’ terms and misconduct. Third Way’s proposal, shared first with POLITICO, highlights growing unity across the ideological spectrum in the Democratic Party for significant changes to the high court as Americans’ trust in the institution hovers at historic lows. The group says it also wants to inject ideas to overhaul the court — including legislation to set an 18-year term limit and an enforceable ethics code — into the party’s conversations leading up to the 2028 presidential race.
该智库表示，他们希望将改革方案（包括设立18年任期限制及具有强制力的道德准则）纳入民主党在2028年总统大选前的讨论中。“我们认为这是2028年大选必须讨论的话题之一；所有参选人都应该被问及是否支持最高法院的改革，”“Third Way”组织的高级副总裁拉娜·埃里克森（Lanae Erickson）在接受采访时说。鉴于大法官中存在日益严重的党派偏见和腐败现象，越来越多的民主党团体开始联合起来，共同推动最高法院结构的改革。
“This is one of those things that we think can and should be a part of the 2028 discussion, and those folks who are running should be asked about whether they would champion Supreme Court reform,” Lanae Erickson, a senior vice president at Third Way, said in an interview. Key Democratic groups have increasingly been coalescing around ideas to overhaul the court’s structure and policing in light of accusations of growing partisanship and corruption among justices. In June, a number of key Democratic House caucus leaders, including the Congressional Progressive Caucus, released their own resolution calling for term limits for justices and a code of ethics.
今年6月，包括“国会进步党团”（Congressional Progressive Caucus）在内的多个民主党核心团体也发布了自己的决议，呼吁对大法官实施任期限制并制定道德准则。埃里克森指出：“我们认为中左翼在推动能够改善民众权益的改革提案方面做得不够积极，因此一些民主党人转向了更激进的立场。”根据“布伦南正义中心”（Brennan Center for Justice）和FOX新闻的民意调查，超过70%的受访者支持对大法官实施任期限制；如果采用18年的任期制度，那么每个总统任期内将会有两位新的大法官获得任命。该智库还主张通过立法手段，让大法官对违反道德准则的行为负责。
“We think that the center left has been remiss in not being forward enough on reform proposals that would make our system work better for people, which is why some folks have gone to the further left,” Erickson said. Third Way cited public opinion polling from both the Brennan Center for Justice and FOX News indicating more than 70% of respondents favored term limits for justices. An 18-year cycle would ensure the appointment of two justices every presidential term. The group also wants legislation to hold justices accountable for ethics violations.
众议院少数党领袖哈基姆·杰弗里斯上个月表示，他支持对最高法院进行“重大改革”，首先应制定一套道德准则，以防止法官的行为“凌驾于法律之上”。2023年，最高法院首次正式通过了自己的道德准则，但该准则在某些方面仍缺乏改革倡导者所提出的强硬措施。第三条道路（Third Way）这一政治团体并不支持某些民主党人提出的建议，例如增加最高法院大法官的人数。
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said last month he supports “dramatic reform” on the Supreme Court starting with an ethics code so justices don’t act “above the law.”The court in 2023 adopted its own formal ethics code for the first time in history, but that policy largely lacks some of the teeth that advocates have proposed. One idea supported by some Democrats that Third Way is not endorsing: upping the number of justices on the bench.
埃里克森认为，这一提议实际上可能引发“相互毁灭”的局面——因为各政党可能会不断要求增加大法官的人数，从而导致政治僵局。然而，埃里克森指出：“在国会中，除非两院都掌握多数席位并且白宫也处于民主党控制之下，否则任何与最高法院相关的立法工作都难以推进。”尽管如此，该团体提出的建议旨在“表明中左翼势力也可以采取大胆行动，解决系统性问题，从而回应选民对于当前局势的担忧与愤怒情绪。”
Erickson said that idea seems more like “a mutually assured destruction path,” as parties could go back and forth adding more justices. The path forward for any court-focused legislation in Congress in the near future, however, is very slim without majorities in both chambers and control of the White House — something Third Way acknowledged. Still, the group’s recommendations are meant “to show that the center left can also be bold and be addressing systemic problems to appeal to voters and their level of anxiety and anger about what's happening right now,” Erickson said.