A pair of progressive groups gave Tom SteyerTom SteyerBloomberg wages war on COVID-19, but will he abandon his war on coal? Overnight Energy: 600K clean energy jobs lost during pandemic, report finds | Democrats target diseases spread by wildlife | Energy Dept. to buy 1M barrels of oil Ocasio-Cortez, Schiff team up to boost youth voter turnout MORE’s plan to address the courts the top grade out of the field of Democratic presidential candidates and warned that the party’s potential nominees need to make the issue more of a priority.
Take Back the Court and the People’s Parity Project released report cards on Friday after evaluating the candidates’ proposals to deal with an increasingly conservative judiciary, which many advocates warn will be an impediment to any progressive policy plan.
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Steyer led the pack with a “B+” grade, largely due to his support for packing the Supreme Court with extra judges. None of the candidates received an “A,” prompting the groups to warn that the field is not taking the issue seriously enough.
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“Having a policy agenda is no longer good enough in this presidential election because candidates need a plan to protect their agendas from the stolen Supreme Court,” Aaron Belkin, director of Take Back the Court, said in a statement. “Without such a plan, the bold changes that they are promising are dead on arrival.”
“This report card makes clear what we’ve long suspected,” added Molly Coleman, the national organizing director for People’s Parity Project. “Leading Democratic candidates for president have failed to grapple with the reality that the Republican Party and the Federalist Society have conspired for decades to build a federal bench packed with far-right judges committed to standing [in] the way of any and all progress. If the candidates are serious about their plans for change, they must have a plan for the courts.”
The current front-runners for the Democratic nomination, former Vice President Joe BidenJoe BidenHillicon Valley: Biden calls on Facebook to change political speech rules | Dems demand hearings after Georgia election chaos | Microsoft stops selling facial recognition tech to police Trump finalizing executive order calling on police to use ‘force with compassion’ The Hill’s Campaign Report: Biden campaign goes on offensive against Facebook MORE and Sen. Bernie SandersBernie SandersThe Hill’s 12:30 Report: Milley apologizes for church photo-op Harris grapples with defund the police movement amid veep talk Biden courts younger voters — who have been a weakness MORE (I-Vt.), received an F and a D respectively. The groups faulted the candidates for not supporting proposals to expand the number of justices on the Supreme Court, an effort known as “court packing.”
Sanders has said that he supports rotating justices between the Supreme Court and other federal courts every few years, while Biden opposes any structural court reform.
This week, Steyer became the first candidate to embrace court-packing as a way to counter the conservative takeover of the federal judiciary that’s accelerated during the Trump administration.
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“There’s nothing in the constitution that says there’s nine Supreme Court justices,” Steyer said at a campaign stop in Iowa. “I believe to allow a minority party to put in a group of radical, young right-wing ideologues to control the country for the next generation is dramatically unfair.”
In the report card, Andrew YangAndrew YangGeorge Floyd protests show corporations must support racial and economic equality Andrew Yang discusses his universal basic income pilot program Andrew Yang on the George Floyd protests in Minneapolis MORE received a B, Pete ButtigiegPete ButtigiegScaled-back Pride Month poses challenges for fundraising, outreach Biden hopes to pick VP by Aug. 1 It’s as if a Trump operative infiltrated the Democratic primary process MORE a B-minus, Sen. Elizabeth WarrenElizabeth WarrenWarren, Democrats urge Trump to back down from veto threat over changing Confederate-named bases OVERNIGHT DEFENSE: Joint Chiefs chairman says he regrets participating in Trump photo-op | GOP senators back Joint Chiefs chairman who voiced regret over Trump photo-op | Senate panel approves 0B defense policy bill Trump on collision course with Congress over bases with Confederate names MORE (D-Mass.) a B-minus, Sen. Amy KlobucharAmy KlobucharHillicon Valley: Biden calls on Facebook to change political speech rules | Dems demand hearings after Georgia election chaos | Microsoft stops selling facial recognition tech to police Democrats demand Republican leaders examine election challenges after Georgia voting chaos Harris grapples with defund the police movement amid veep talk MORE (D-Minn.) a C-minus and former New York City Mayor Michael BloombergMichael BloombergEngel scrambles to fend off primary challenge from left It’s as if a Trump operative infiltrated the Democratic primary process Liberals embrace super PACs they once shunned MORE an F.
Despite the push from some activists to make court reform a bigger issue in the race, it has come up only sparingly on the campaign trail and has been asked about only twice during the nationally televised debate.