Planned Parenthood Backs Court Packing, Term Limits For Justices

Planned Parenthood Backs Court Packing, Term Limits For Justices

Katelynn Richardson on May 15, 2023

Planned Parenthood announced Sunday that it supports Supreme Court reforms such as court packing and term limits, according to a statement.

After Roe v. Wade was overturned last year, Planned Parenthood launched a “Reclaim Our Courts” website and $100,000 ad campaign to highlight how former President Donald Trump “drastically changed the makeup of our courts.” Its latest position now includes support for expanding the court, adding term limits and imposing ethics and transparency requirements.

Alexis McGill Johnson, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, said in a statement that “the fight to strengthen our democracy and bolster our institutions has always been intertwined with the fight for reproductive freedom.”

“As we continue to face unrelenting attacks on our basic freedoms, our courts must be one backstop to protecting our rights,” she said. “Instead, the courts have been used as a vehicle to advance a dangerous agenda against abortion rights, voting rights, LGBTQ+ rights, and so much more. Planned Parenthood refuses to accept that our courts can only exist as they do now, and understands that reforms are integral to building the public’s trust that the courts can and will function to uphold hard-won freedoms and advance justice for future generations.”

“PPFA’s expanded position is a continuation of our commitment to ensure that everyone, no matter where they live, has the freedom to make their own decisions about their own bodies, lives, and futures,” Johnson continued.

For the federal courts, Planned Parenthood suggests adding additional judges “to keep up with the growing U.S. population and caseload,” avoiding single-judge divisions, and preventing groups from choosing to file cases in districts with a favorable judge.

Senate Democrats have also recently pushed to impose an ethics code following reports alleging Justice Clarence Thomas failed to uphold ethics requirements, which legal experts previously told the Daily Caller News Foundation were incomplete. During a May 2 hearing on the subject, Republicans slammed Democrats’ proposals as an attempt to “destroy the legitimacy” of the Supreme Court.

All nine justices signed a statement in late April outlining ethical principles that guide their decisions. Chief Justice John Roberts included the statement in his letter declining Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin’s invitation to testify before the committee.