The USA: The Biden Years

[Iguana]

This isn't quite technically true. Whilst that's the rules at the moment, it's not in the constitution, so Congress could change things, by for example shrinking the court and then re-expanding it, giving the sitting president the ability to nominate the newly free slots.

The danger of course is anything the democrats do, the republicans will do so much worse the first change they get.

How can it not be technically true if that's the rules at the moment?

 

[ZenGiraffe]

How can it not be technically true if that's the rules at the moment?

Because it's not a right that the judges have, really. They are there at the pleasure of Congress.

 

[Iguana]

"The number of Justices on the Supreme Court changed six times before settling at the present total of nine in 1869."

The Court as an Institution

"Justice Samuel Chase is the only Supreme Court justice the House has impeached, and he was acquitted by the Senate in 1805."

Impeachment and Removal of Judges: An Explainer

Judicial impeachment shouldn’t be used to punish judges for their rulings. Here’s why.

www.brennancenter.org

So it's a pretty settled

 

[ZenGiraffe]

In the American context, this is really just the distinction between what is in the constitution and what is just Congressional law (is that a phrase?). That's why I was picking up on you saying that judges have a 'right'. Their position isn't necessarily as permanent as it appears, because of how much leeway Congress has to act if they so choose. Whereas if it was explicitly in the constitution, the process for change is much more challenging.

The UK, pretty much anything can be changed by simple majority, so yes parliament could abolish the monarchy of course, and we have very little protection of our rights from the Government of the day (see the British Bill of Rights), as opposed to having a written constitution with a higher bar for change.

What a BORING argument we're having.

 

[RJN]

And also one vacancy opened up at the end of Obama's final term, but the Republican-led Senate refused to approve his appointment because it was so close to an election. Then the same thing happened at the end of Trump's term, but the Republican-led Senate had no problem approving his choice despite it being the same circumstances.

@RJN to correct me if I'm misremembering at all, ploise

True and evil

 

[Madison]

And also one vacancy opened up at the end of Obama's final term, but the Republican-led Senate refused to approve his appointment because it was so close to an election. Then the same thing happened at the end of Trump's term, but the Republican-led Senate had no problem approving his choice despite it being the same circumstances.

@RJN to correct me if I'm misremembering at all, ploise

You are being too generous. Scalia died nine months before the election, RBG died only two months before the election.

 

[Madison]

This isn't quite technically true. Whilst that's the rules at the moment, it's not in the constitution, so Congress could change things, by for example shrinking the court and then re-expanding it, giving the sitting president the ability to nominate the newly free slots.

The danger of course is anything the democrats do, the republicans will do so much worse the first change they get.

I don’t believe the constitution allows the congress to remove judges in this way. Have you seen something that suggests otherwise? Whilst the congress controls the size of the courts, the constitution seems clear to me that sitting judges can only be removed through impeachment.

(Although Ginny Thomas is doing her best to get her husband impeached).

 

[POP!]

The Supreme Court is a lifetime appointment. The only thing that has really been up for debate is expanding the Court to make it less prone for one party controlling it. But that is basically a democrat pipe dream.

 

[jivafox]

Impeach the Trump nominees because they all lied during their confirmation interviews!

 

[Diddy]

Fucking STRING EM UP

 

[Madison]

They were very careful with their words, and in any case, you would need two-thirds of the senate to vote for conviction.

 

[ZenGiraffe]

I don’t believe the constitution allows the congress to remove judges in this way. Have you seen something that suggests otherwise? Whilst the congress controls the size of the courts, the constitution seems clear to me that sitting judges can only be removed through impeachment.

(Although Ginny Thomas is doing her best to get her husband impeached).

This is chat I remember from the time whenever Trump stole Obama's last nomination. The theory (since it wasn't tested) is that Congress could say there are three judges on the supreme court, and kick out the spares (presumably last in first out). I'm at work so don't have the time to find the original sources but I'll hunt them out later on

 

[RaspberrySwirl]

The UK, pretty much anything can be changed by simple majority, so yes parliament could abolish the monarchy of course, and we have very little protection of our rights from the Government of the day (see the British Bill of Rights), as opposed to having a written constitution with a higher bar for change.

Is the monarchy not part of the constitution in UK? (I’m asking because it is here.)

 

[Madison]

Is the monarchy not part of the constitution in UK? (I’m asking because it is here.)

*Any* aspect of our (largely unwritten) constitution can be changed by a simple Act of Parliament.

 

[VoR]

Apparently on Monday they’re expected to rule that US corporations don’t need to comply with climate change legislation/C02 caps, just in case you thought this venal shitshow wouldn’t affect the rest of us.

 

[KindaCool]

They're really milking it, huh.

Nothing is sadder than a country trying to recapture its past glory. Futile.

 

[Kate]

Good to know all those precious unaborted babies will die a fiery death one day.

 

[RJN]

I bet gay marriage is next ...

 

[VoR]

I bet gay marriage is next ...

Oh it goes way beyond that…

 

[GNL]

The land of the free

 

[lolly]

I'm glad I'm likely to be dead within a few decades.

 

[Rachey]

My god, what the hell is happening

How likely is it that being gay would become illegal in America then?

 

[RJN]

My god, what the hell is happening

How likely is it that being gay would become illegal in America then?

In America or in specific states?

 

[Rachey]

In America or in specific states?

America as a whole I guess. I'm some states in the deep south would love to make it illegal.

 

[funky]

I think in the future we’ll be asking that question in terms of USA or a Republican America, because based on the current trajectory the country can’t continue to exist as one entity. Trump has well and truly dug a line in the sand that is going to be incredibly difficult to undo.

 

[POP!]

Don't tread on us (unless you're banning gay sex or female bodily autonomy) is the new USA slogan

 

[Loufoque]

Good Lord. How can California and New York remain in the same union with countries banning womens' and gay rights?

 

[OutSynk]

Surely there’s an asteroid somewhere out there ready to take us all out soon yes?

 

[Dark Carnival]

Surely there’s an asteroid somewhere out there ready to take us all out soon yes?

Fingers crossed!

 

[Kratz]

This all makes Brexit look like Winnie the Pooh

 

[jivafox]

 

[Lucille]

The state of this !

 

[Diddy]

Hang on, so Biden’s new justice started on June 30th, who voted on Roe v Wade? I forgot how that vacancy opened, did someone retire?

 

[Diddy]

Oh a democrat one retired. Humph

Can someone storm the Supreme Court too?

 

[VoR]

By the end of this year there’s a good chance that elections in red-controlled states will be about as free and fair as they are in Belarus.

Next up: voting rights, as US supreme court set to tear up more protections

The ideologically driven conservative majority is likely to further weaken key civil rights legislation after a term of radical rulings

www.theguardian.com

 

[Soldi]

Illinois shooting: Five dead in 4 July parade shooting near Chicago

Officials say 16 people were also hospitalised after gunfire disrupted an Independence Day parade.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[bypass]

I don't mean to sound melodramatic but it really feels like we are in a "calm before the storm" moment at the moment.

Historically what happens in the states has a richochet effect on the rest of the western world and as much as the state of things in the UK causes me undue stress, I would say developments stateside probably worry me just as much.

Are we fucked?

 

[Soldi]

We’ve been fucked since June 2016.

 

[POP!]

This is going quite viral:

 

[KindaCool]

Lol petty