The U.S. Supreme Court may be in for some changes as top Senate Democrats, in the wake of bombshell reporting from ProPublica regarding potential conflicts of interest on the bench, have vowed to put legislation on the table next month.
U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) have issued a statement following the report alleging that Justice Samuel Alito accepted and failed to disclose a luxury fishing vacation from a GOP billionaire who had cases before the court. The statement suggests the nation's highest court is "in an ethical crisis" that it has brought upon itself.
"The reputation and credibility of the Court are at stake," the Wednesday joint statement says. "Chief Justice Roberts could resolve this today, but he has not acted."
The statement further says the Supreme Court "should not have the lowest ethical standards."
"But for too long that has been the case," the statement reads. "That needs to change."
Finally, the Senators promise to draft legislation on this issue in July.
"That's why when the Senate returns after the July 4th recess, the Senate Judiciary Committee will mark up Supreme Court ethics legislation," they wrote.
The Senators further noted that their hope is for Justice Roberts to take the lead on bringing the court's "ethics in line with all other federal judges."
"But if the Court won't act, then Congress must," the statement says. Durbin also made the announcement in a tweet.
