Hispanic GOP members say Biden’s SCOTUS plan is similar to Maduro’s
Three Cuban American House Republicans have voiced concerns over President Biden’s proposal to transform the Supreme Court, likening him to some of Latin America’s most notorious autocrats.
Florida GOP Representatives Maria Salazar, Mario Diaz-Balart, and Carlos Gimenez released a video this week, drawing parallels between Biden’s plan and the tactics employed by former Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez and current President Nicolás Maduro, whose recent re-election was widely criticized as illegitimate.
In the video, Salazar criticized Biden’s plan as “outrageous” and contrary to the American exceptionalism that the country prides itself on. Diaz-Balart echoed her sentiments, emphasizing the importance of the Supreme Court in upholding the rule of law and democracy in the United States.
He warned that any attempt to alter the institutions, such as the Supreme Court, for political reasons poses a significant threat to democracy and the freedoms enjoyed by Americans. Gimenez joined in, citing historical examples of how dictators like Chávez have manipulated the judicial system to consolidate power.
Salazar took a dig at Democrats who have accused former President Trump of endangering democracy, pointing out that it is President Biden who is proposing changes that could undermine the core of the American system.
President Biden outlined his plan in an op-ed published in the Washington Post, which includes a binding code of ethics, constitutional amendment limiting presidential immunity, and mandated term limits for Supreme Court justices. While Republicans derided the proposal, Democratic allies welcomed the initiative.
Representative Don Beyer of Virginia, who has introduced legislation on Supreme Court reform, emphasized the urgent need to restore public trust in the integrity of the Court amid concerns about ethics violations and politicization.
House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana rebuffed any possibility of considering such changes in a GOP-controlled House, labeling Biden’s proposal as part of a broader effort by Democrats to undermine the legitimacy of the Supreme Court.
As the debate over the future of the Supreme Court continues, it is evident that the issue remains a contentious and polarizing topic in American politics, with deep divisions between Republicans and Democrats on how to address perceived flaws in the judicial system.
