President Joe Biden visited Texas’ Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum, also known as the LBJ Presidential Library on Monday and gave his remarks to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act and outlined new proposals for reforming the US Supreme Court. This marked his first major speech since announcing his decision not to seek re-election in the 2024 race.
During his visit to the Austin library and museum, Biden emphasized his administration’s commitment to protecting civil rights and detailed plans for Supreme Court reforms, including term limits, an enforceable code of conduct for justices, and a constitutional amendment to prohibit presidential immunity, reported ABC News.
Biden highlighted what he described as a troubling Supreme Court decision in Trump vs United States, which he argued established a dangerous precedent by granting immunity to the president for potential crimes committed while in office. “And most recently and most shockingly, the Supreme Court established in Trump vs the United States a dangerous precedent,” said Biden. “They ruled, as you know, that the president of the United States has immunity for potential crimes he may have committed while in office, immunity. This nation is founded on the principle that there are no kings in America. Each of us is equal before the law. No one is above the law!”
The venue for Biden’s remarks was significant as he is the first sitting president since Lyndon B Johnson to decide against seeking a second term. Declining to campaign again, Biden now aims to focus on completing his agenda in the remaining months of his presidency, solidifying his political legacy. Biden and his administration are channeling efforts into addressing unresolved issues and critical reforms.
“The president is focused like a laser beam on making sure that the next six months matter to the American people,” Stephen Benjamin, the director of the White House Office of Public Engagement, told reporters on Monday. “He is soliciting the ideas and thoughts of the best and brightest people in this administration, but also from across the country, asking people, ‘What is left undone, what else do we need to work to secure?'”
Biden’s focus areas include Supreme Court accountability, economic fortification, and reducing prices for American families. However, these proposals have already met with opposition from Republican lawmakers. House Speaker Mike Johnson critiqued the proposed judicial reforms as “dangerous” and declared them “dead on arrival in the House.” Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell echoed this sentiment, contending that the administration seeks reform because of political disagreements with the court’s recent decisions.
“Why is the Biden Harris administration so willing to put the crown jewel of our system of government, the independent judiciary, to the torch? Because it stands in their way,” McConnell said.
Biden also expressed support for Vice President Kamala Harris, who is now the leading Democratic candidate for the presidential nomination. “I’ve made clear how I feel about Kamala,” Biden said. “She has been a champion of rights throughout her career. She will continue to be an inspiring leader and project the very ideal of America.”
During his visit to the Austin library and museum, Biden emphasized his administration’s commitment to protecting civil rights and detailed plans for Supreme Court reforms, including term limits, an enforceable code of conduct for justices, and a constitutional amendment to prohibit presidential immunity, reported ABC News.
Biden highlighted what he described as a troubling Supreme Court decision in Trump vs United States, which he argued established a dangerous precedent by granting immunity to the president for potential crimes committed while in office. “And most recently and most shockingly, the Supreme Court established in Trump vs the United States a dangerous precedent,” said Biden. “They ruled, as you know, that the president of the United States has immunity for potential crimes he may have committed while in office, immunity. This nation is founded on the principle that there are no kings in America. Each of us is equal before the law. No one is above the law!”
The venue for Biden’s remarks was significant as he is the first sitting president since Lyndon B Johnson to decide against seeking a second term. Declining to campaign again, Biden now aims to focus on completing his agenda in the remaining months of his presidency, solidifying his political legacy. Biden and his administration are channeling efforts into addressing unresolved issues and critical reforms.
“The president is focused like a laser beam on making sure that the next six months matter to the American people,” Stephen Benjamin, the director of the White House Office of Public Engagement, told reporters on Monday. “He is soliciting the ideas and thoughts of the best and brightest people in this administration, but also from across the country, asking people, ‘What is left undone, what else do we need to work to secure?'”
Biden’s focus areas include Supreme Court accountability, economic fortification, and reducing prices for American families. However, these proposals have already met with opposition from Republican lawmakers. House Speaker Mike Johnson critiqued the proposed judicial reforms as “dangerous” and declared them “dead on arrival in the House.” Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell echoed this sentiment, contending that the administration seeks reform because of political disagreements with the court’s recent decisions.
“Why is the Biden Harris administration so willing to put the crown jewel of our system of government, the independent judiciary, to the torch? Because it stands in their way,” McConnell said.
Biden also expressed support for Vice President Kamala Harris, who is now the leading Democratic candidate for the presidential nomination. “I’ve made clear how I feel about Kamala,” Biden said. “She has been a champion of rights throughout her career. She will continue to be an inspiring leader and project the very ideal of America.”
