Court-Packing by Another Name? — Democrats Push 18-Year Term Limits on the Supreme Court Instead of Fixing Congress

Democrats in Congress are once again scheming to undermine the independence of the Supreme Court.

Forget fixing their own broken institution, where term limits might actually make sense for the career politicians who’ve turned Capitol Hill into a swamp of lifelong grifters.

House Democrats have reintroduced the Supreme Court Tenure Establishment and Retirement Modernization (TERM) Act, a proposal that would effectively end life tenure for Supreme Court justices and guarantee presidents a steady stream of appointments regardless of vacancies.

At the forefront of the effort in the U.S. House is Representative Hank Johnson (D-GA), author and lead sponsor of the TERM Act — with Representative Mike Levin (D-CA) serving as a vocal cosponsor. A companion version in the Senate is typically shepherded by Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI).

The bill claims to “restore independence” to the Court, but its mechanics tell a different story:

• 18-Year Terms: Justices would serve 18 years in “active service,” after which they would be shifted into a newly formalized “Senior Status.”

• Guaranteed Appointments: A new justice would be appointed every two years — during the first and third years of a presidential term — no matter what.

• The “Nine Justice” Rule: Only the nine most junior justices would hear cases and controversies. As new justices are appointed, older ones would be rotated out.

• Permanent Turnover: The system ensures every single-term president gets at least two Supreme Court appointments, eliminating the historical link between vacancies and constitutional service.

Radical Democrats are once again scheming to overhaul the Supreme Court, not to restore balance, as they claim, but to neuter its conservative majority and stack the deck in their favor.

Rep. Levin has aggressively promoted the proposal on social media, arguing that Supreme Court justices wield unchecked authority for decades without accountability.

He wrote:

“Right now, nine Supreme Court justices can shape your rights for decades without ever answering to the American people. That’s not balance. That’s not accountability, and that’s simply too much power for too long.

That’s why I’m cosponsoring legislation to establish 18-year term limits for Supreme Court justices, with regular appointments every two years. We need to put an end to strategic retirements, court-packing games, and a system that changes the direction of the country on a single vacancy or lifetime appointment.

Term limits don’t weaken the Court. They modernize it by restoring balance, strengthening accountability, and rebuilding public trust.

This is how we restore confidence in the Court and strengthen our democracy for the long term.”

In an accompanying video, Levin doubled down, claiming that because elected officials face regular elections, the judiciary should face an equivalent “clock.”

Mike Levin: “Presidents serve four-year terms. Senators serve six. Members of the House serve two. They can serve longer, but only if the American people give them that chance. Everyone has a check. Everyone has a clock—except the Supreme Court.

Right now, nine people are making decisions about your health care, how to count your vote, and who you can marry, and they can do it for 40 years, 50 years, without ever answering to you. That’s not balance. That’s not accountability. That’s just too much power for too long.

So here’s what I’m doing about it. I’m co-sponsoring a bill to set 18-year term limits for Supreme Court justices, with a new justice appointed every two years. That means no more strategic retirements, no more court-packing games, and no more waiting for someone to die to change the direction of the country—just a court the American people can actually trust.

And before anyone says this is radical, nearly every state already does this when it comes to their highest courts. This isn’t about politics; it’s about accountability. Term limits don’t weaken the court. They modernize it, they balance it, and they make sure that no one person holds that much power over your life for that long.

This is how we strengthen democracy for the long run. Let’s build momentum, and let’s get it done.”

WATCH:

Right now, nine Supreme Court justices can shape your rights for decades without ever answering to the American people. That’s not balance. That’s not accountability, and that’s simply too much power for too long.

That’s why I’m cosponsoring legislation to establish 18-year… pic.twitter.com/DbzaRlj06o

— Rep. Mike Levin (@RepMikeLevin) January 2, 2026

One critic cut straight to the point:

“Let’s repeal the 17th Amendment and fix the Senate. You are in the most powerful branch and it is intentionally broken. Whatcha say?”

Others reminded Levin of Congress’s actual constitutional role:

“Everything SCOTUS does is following a rulebook set by the legislature. If you don’t like their interpretation, change the law. Your job isn’t to reshape the Court—it’s to pass laws so clear they don’t need interpretation.”

Another noted the obvious constitutional obstacle Democrats rarely mention:

“You would literally have to change the Constitution. Start with term limits for Congress and lower courts first.”

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