Ethics rules for Supreme Court justices approved on party-line vote by U.S. Senate panel

WASHINGTON — The Senate Committee on the Judiciary on Thursday approved a proposal to impose a code of ethics for the U.S. Supreme Court, amid revelations that justices failed to disclose luxury travel and real estate deals, as well as directing staff to promote book sales. “Unlike every other federal official, Supreme Court justices are not bound by a code of ethical conduct,” Chair Dick Durbin of Illinois said in his opening statement. The SCERT Act we’re considering would change that.” Republicans on the committee criticized the bill as “harassing and intimidating to the court,” as Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa said in his opening remarks. Republican amendments rejected Seven GOP amendments failed in party line votes during the roughly three-hour markup, including: Graham’s proposal to expand Supreme Court police jurisdiction to investigate threats or attacks against the justices at their homes.Cornyn’s amendment to codify a federal right for federal judges to carry concealed firearms.Cruz’s proposal to cap the Supreme Court bench at nine justices.Cotton’s amendment to require any news media covering the court to publicly list its funders and to mandate that journalists swear under oath not to report any draft opinions or other non-public information without the court’s authorization. We must ensure that the Supreme Court is not in the pocket of the ultra-wealthy and MAGA extremists,” Schumer said in a statement Thursday following the committee’s approval of the bill.