President Biden complained that the Supreme Court is no longer in tune with American values after the justices on Thursday struck down affirmative action at U.S. colleges and overturning abortion rights last year.
“It’s out of sorts with the basic value system of the American people. Across the board, the vast majority of the American people don’t agree with the decisions this court is making,” Mr. Biden said in an interview with MSNBC’s Nicole Wallace.
“Its value system is different and respect for institutions is different,” he continued.
Mr. Biden’s remarks come just hours after the U.S. Supreme Court, dominated by justices appointed by Republican presidents, found that Harvard and the University of North Carolina’s admissions policy violated the Constitution’s equal protection clause.
The decision reversed decades of precedent upheld over the years by court majorities. Last year the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, returning the decision to protect abortion rights to the states.
“It’s done more to unravel basic rights and basic decisions than any court in recent history,” Mr. Biden said, adding that the court has “gone out of its way” to tackle these issues.
Despite his disappointment with the court’s decision, Mr. Biden said he opposes expanding the Supreme Court. A commission appointed by Mr. Biden looked at ways to overhaul the nation’s highest court but issued no position on expanding the court.
“It will politicize [the court], maybe forever, in a way that is not healthy, that we can’t get back,” Mr. Biden said.
• Jeff Mordock can be reached at jmordock@washingtontimes.com.
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