General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsThe only way to "check" the Supreme Six is to impeach
The judicial branch interprets laws, but the Senate in the legislative branch confirms the Presidents nominations for judicial positions, and Congress can impeach any of those judges and remove them from office.
Now that they've abruptly taken away an internationally recognized human right from women and girls in this country, I think it is completely appropriate to start impeachment proceedings, without regard for whether it will be successful or not. Kavanaugh and Gorsuch lied during their confirmation hearings. Senator Collins said she was misled, and Manchin said he feels betrayed. That's actually a big deal, because Kavanaugh and Gorsuch's lies prevented the Senate from doing their job properly before confirmation.
When the right-wing goes too far, we have to be willing to go just as far in the other direction. Again, the right wing Supreme Court has taken away a human right from women and girls in this country. That deserves a huge response.
I don't want to hear crap about a slippery slope. This country is sliding off a cliff right now. Women will die. Some women will be subjected to humiliating and degrading vaginal probes from State officials. Some doctors will stay silent when it comes to dangerous pregnancies. Some women may even resort to suicide due to feeling trapped and hopeless.
onecaliberal
(35,696 posts)Polybius
(17,698 posts)TexLaProgressive
(12,280 posts)Impeachment is worthless without a 2/3rd vote to convict in the Senate. Vote blue.
exboyfil
(17,985 posts)Also except for Thomas we have absolutely no basis to impeach. What is lying about a future decision? They can always claim the erudite arguments of Alito and Thomas swayed the more recent ones.
FBaggins
(27,599 posts)I'm not sure we could get even half that many.
Polybius
(17,698 posts)He's not his wife.
Only way would be an email exchange between the two or a recording of her discussing her activities with him.
His only exposure was the 8-1 vote forcing release of Presidential documents.
JustAnotherGen
(33,390 posts)We get additional seats in the Senate. We need Manchin and Sinema rendered insignifant.
Fetterman will vote to suspend the filibuster and a rule change to make it happen.
Who else can we pick up? I'd bet if we win Wisconsin that Senator will vote to make it happen too.
Any attempt at an Impeachment at this time will fail, and we will look like abject failures.
Darwins_Retriever
(934 posts)but the Constitution requires 2/3 of the Senate for a conviction and removal. No way in hell.
JustAnotherGen
(33,390 posts)If we can't get the 2/3 conviction.
Don't do anything where we can't win until after November.
There are dark forces trying to suppress the vote and we don't need this shit right now.
Darwins_Retriever
(934 posts)in order to pass a federal law concerning abortion with just a majority. But, I'd bet that at several layers of the federal courts would kill it as an infringement of the states' right to govern.
Thomas Hurt
(13,925 posts)Dobbs is law and will not be changed until the composition of the Court has been changed be removing the religious extremists as they die.
maxsolomon
(34,968 posts)Rage all you want; they're lifetime appointees answerable to no one.
Kavanaugh, Gorsuch, and Barrett will be on the SCOTUS the remainder of my lifetime. Hopefully I live to see the other 3 die under a Democratic President.
unblock
(54,128 posts)Although there's been little interest in this from top democrats.
That said, decisions like Dobbs may change that.
In any event expanding the court only requires passing and signing a law. We just need to overcome a filibuster or carve out and exception. Majority vote in both houses. Sone democrats won't go along, but if we have say 55 senators, that's probably enough.
Easier than the 67 needed to remove after impeachment.
Caliman73
(11,767 posts)It is being called, "Unpacking the Court" and that seems a much more possible (though still difficult) way to deal with the extremism of the court as it stands today.
exboyfil
(17,985 posts)They go to 21.
If possible we probably should do it, but it is not a long term solution.
JohnSJ
(96,436 posts)Expanding the court also has a better chance
MiniMe
(21,828 posts)RBG would have been gone long ago if that was possible.
Sneederbunk
(15,051 posts)delisen
(6,440 posts)Trumps impeachments were necessary even though conviction was extremely unlikely.
There may be times to be strategic but this is not one of them.
Our Constitution has been cast out into the streets by those whose duty it was to safeguard it. It is up to us to take it from there.
We impeached Trump and knew he would not be convicted. We had a moral imperative to do so.
We need to stand for the rule of law and if that leads to impeachment as being within our response, so be it.
Polybius
(17,698 posts)They didn't impeach any Justices. Imagine how we'd look if we did.
brooklynite
(96,882 posts)The Democratic House won't Impeach any of them. The Senate won't convict them.