THE SUPREME COURT MUST BE REFORMED

Daily Action

May 1

QUICK READ: The Supreme Court desperately needs an enforceable Code of Conduct, given the glaring ethical violations of Justices Thomas, Gorsuch and Roberts and the Chief Justice’s refusal to clean up the mess. Our Members of Congress must demand Thomas’ resignation, push for Judiciary Committee hearings on these ethical violations, co-sponsor and push for an enforceable Code of Conduct and work for Supreme Court expansion to prevent further erosion of our rights by MAGA Justices who ignore precedents and impose their extremely unpopular personal and religious beliefs on the rest of us.

CONTENTS:

Background
Script for Senate
Script for House
Further Reading

BACKGROUND

Americans expect Supreme Court Justices to honor their oath of office and uphold the promise of equal justice under the law.

Extremely unpopular political rulings—overturning Roe, gutting voting protections, disallowing common-sense gun regulations, undercutting climate change efforts—dramatically lowered our confidence in the Court.

Recent investigative reporting further tarnished it.

Justices have hidden their links to right-wing GOP elites and causes by ignoring the requirement that all federal employees annually report gifts and income and not recusing themselves for conflicts of interest:

Thomas didn’t recuse from January 6 cases, despite his wife’s involvement in the insurrection, and regularly failed to report gifts and income—a lucrative real estate deal with and 20 years of luxury vacations and gifts from billionaire GOP megadonor and the sources of years of his wife’s income;
Gorsuch sold vacation property to an undisclosed buyer whose firm appeared regularly before the Court;
Elite D.C. law firms arguing before the Court paid Roberts’ wife unreported millions.

And, sexual allegations against Justice Kavanaugh weren’t properly investigated.

Since the Justices are clearly incapable of policing their own ethics, Congress must:

Call for Thomas’ resignation;
Hold hearings about these numerous ethical violations;
Institute an enforceable Code of Conduct;
Rebalance the Court to prevent further erosion of our rights.

ACTION One: Call the Senate.

Script for Oregon Senators

SEN. MERKLEY: Portland office: 503-326-3386 | D.C. office: 202-224-3753

My name is [--] and I'm a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code]. Thank you for co-sponsoring S.325 and S.359, which would establish an enforceable Code of Conduct for the Supreme Court. Since the Justices are clearly incapable of policing their own ethics, I am asking you to :

Call for Thomas’ immediate resignation;
Push for meaningful Judiciary Committee hearings on the numerous reported ethical violations (with the Justices as witnesses) and for an enforceable Code of Conduct for the Supreme Court;
Co-sponsor and push for passage of legislation rebalancing the Supreme Court to prevent further erosion of our rights.

*SEN. WYDEN:* Portland office: 503-326-7525 | D.C. office: 202-224-5244

My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code]. Thank you for co-sponsoring S.325 and S.359, which would establish an enforceable Code of Conduct for the Supreme Court. Since the Justices are clearly incapable of policing their own ethics, I am asking you to :

Call for Thomas’ immediate resignation;
Push for meaningful Judiciary Committee hearings on the numerous reported ethical violations (with the Justices as witnesses) and for an enforceable Code of Conduct for the Supreme Court;
Co-sponsor and push for passage of legislation rebalancing the Supreme Court to prevent further erosion of our rights.

Script for Republican Senators

D.C switchboard: 202-224-3121

My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], [state], [zip code]. The Supreme Court desperately needs an enforceable Code of Conduct, given the glaring ethical violations of Justices Thomas, Gorsuch and Roberts and the Chief Justice’s refusal to clean up the mess. Since the Justices are clearly incapable of policing their own ethics, I am asking you to call for Thomas’ immediate resignation and push for meaningful Judiciary Committee hearings on the numerous reported ethical violations and for an enforceable Code of Conduct for the Supreme Court.

ACTION TWO: Call the House.

Look up your rep.

Script for Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01)

Oregon office: 503-469-6010 | DC office: 202-225-0855

My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code]. The Supreme Court desperately needs an enforceable Code of Conduct. Since the Justices are clearly incapable of policing their own ethics, I am asking you to:

Call for Thomas’ immediate resignation;
Push for meaningful Judiciary Committee hearings on the numerous reported ethical violations and for an enforceable Code of Conduct for the Supreme Court by co-sponsoring HR.927 and HR.926;
Co-sponsor and push for passage of legislation rebalancing the Supreme Court to prevent further erosion of our rights.

Script for Cliff Bentz (OR-02)

Medford office: 541-776-4646 | DC office: 202-225-6730

My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code]. The Supreme Court desperately needs an enforceable Code of Conduct, given the glaring ethical violations of Justices Thomas, Gorsuch and Roberts and the Chief Justice's inability to clean up the mess. Since the Justices are clearly incapable of policing their own ethics, I am asking you to call for Thomas’ immediate resignation and push for meaningful Judiciary Committee hearings on the numerous reported ethical violations and for an enforceable Code of Conduct for the Supreme Court.

Script for Earl Blumenauer (OR-03)

Oregon office: 503-231-2300 | DC office: 202-225-4811

My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code]. Thank you for co-sponsoring HR.926, which would establish an enforceable Code of Conduct for the Supreme Court. Since the Justices are clearly incapable of policing their own ethics, I am asking you to:

Call for Thomas’ immediate resignation;
Push for meaningful Judiciary Committee hearings on the numerous reported ethical violations and for an enforceable Code of Conduct for the Supreme Court by co-sponsoring HR.927 as well;
Co-sponsor and push for passage of legislation rebalancing the Supreme Court to prevent further erosion of our rights.

Script for Val Hoyle (OR-04)

Eugene office: 541-465-6732 | DC office: 202-225-6416

Call for Thomas’ immediate resignation;
Push for meaningful Judiciary Committee hearings on the numerous reported ethical violations and for an enforceable Code of Conduct for the Supreme Court by co-sponsoring HR.927 and HR.926;
Co-sponsor and push for passage of legislation rebalancing the Supreme Court to prevent further erosion of our rights.

Script for Lori Chavez-DeRemer (OR-05)

Salem office: 503-588-9100 | DC office: 202-225-5711

My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code]. The Supreme Court desperately needs an enforceable Code of Conduct, given the glaring ethical violations of Justices Thomas, Gorsuch and Roberts and the Chief Justice’s refusal to clean up the mess. Since the Justices are clearly incapable of policing their own ethics, I am asking you to call for Thomas’ immediate resignation and push for meaningful Judiciary Committee hearings on the numerous reported ethical violations and for an enforceable Code of Conduct for the Supreme Court.

Script for Andrea Salinas (OR-06)

Salem office: 503-385-0906 | DC office: 202-225-5643

Call for Thomas’ immediate resignation;
Push for meaningful Judiciary Committee hearings on the numerous reported ethical violations and for an enforceable Code of Conduct for the Supreme Court by co-sponsoring HR.927 and HR.926;
Co-sponsor and push for passage of legislation rebalancing the Supreme Court to prevent further erosion of our rights.