In an effort to establish term limits for U.S. Supreme Court justices, Representatives Ro Khanna (CA-17) and Don Beyer (VA-08) have reintroduced the Supreme Court Term Limits and Regular Appointments Act. The proposed legislation would set 18-year term limits for justices confirmed after the bill becomes law.

Existing Supreme Court justices would not be affected by the term limits. Moving forward, the bill would implement a structured appointment process, ensuring that every president nominates a new justice during each odd-numbered year. This change would guarantee that each president appoints two justices per four-year term, according to a statement from Rep. Khanna’s office. 

Public support for term limits is strong. According to an Annenberg Public Policy Center poll, 68 per cent of Americans favor term limits for Supreme Court justices, while a Fox News poll found that 78 per cent support an 18-year term limit, the statement added.

“The public’s trust in the Supreme Court has plummeted. Extreme conservatives on the Court have stripped away Americans’ fundamental rights,” said Rep. Ro Khanna. “Term limits and a binding code of ethics will rebalance the Court and rebuild confidence in our institutions. I’m proud to have led this effort with Rep. Beyer and my colleagues.” 

“Rampant, blatant ethics violations and increasing politicization have made it clear that the U.S. Supreme Court is broken – and that reform is urgently needed to restore Americans’ faith in the integrity of the Court,” said Rep. Don Beyer. “Our legislation would restore meaningful balance and public trust in our nation’s highest Court by establishing term limits and ending lifetime tenures.”

“Rep. Khanna’s and Rep. Beyer’s legislation obligating senior status for future Supreme Court justices after 18 years on the high court is both constitutional and prudent,” said Gabe Roth, Executive Director, Fix the Court. “The Court itself has upheld the creation of senior status in the lower courts, and no one in a democracy should serve in such a powerful position as justice for 30-plus years as is now the norm.”

Roth noted that the bill emphasizes the timeliness of this reform, recalling just month, Justice Stephen Breyer, like many retired justices before him, returned to hear cases on a lower federal court. At a time when public opinion consistently reflects a desire for change in the Supreme Court, Roth argued that this legislation is a necessary step toward modernizing and holding the institution more accountable.

Roth underscored that Rep. Khanna and Rep. Beyer’s renewed push highlights Congress’s Article I authority to impose reasonable constraints on a judicial body often seen as outdated and lacking in accountability.

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