Sen. Lindsey Graham Urges Supreme Court to “Get Their House in Order” as Senate Judiciary Committee Votes on Ethics Reform Bill Thursday

On Wednesday, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), the Republican ranking member on the Senate Judiciary Committee, spoke at a press conference about the need for the Supreme Court to “get their house in order” and for Congress to “stay out of the Court’s business.”

Graham’s comments come in response to a bill proposed by Democrats that would impose new ethics rules on the Supreme Court and a process to enforce them. The bill would also set new standards for transparency around recusals, gifts, and potential conflicts of interest.

Republicans are strongly opposed to the bill, arguing that it could “destroy” the high court. The Senate Judiciary Committee is expected to vote on the bill Thursday.

The bill was proposed after reports earlier this year that Justice Clarence Thomas participated in luxury vacations and a real estate deal with a top GOP donor, and after Chief Justice John Roberts declined to testify before the committee about the ethics of the court.

Graham noted that while the Supreme Court needs to address the issue, “two things can be true” – that the court needs to self-police, and that Congress should stay out of the court’s business.

The debate over the Supreme Court ethics reform bill is expected to continue as the Senate Judiciary Committee votes on the bill Thursday. It remains to be seen whether the bill will pass and what the implications will be for the Supreme Court.