Congress proposes 18-year Supreme Court terms, regular appointments tied to elections

What it does

This bill establishes an 18-year term limit for Supreme Court justices, with one justice appointed every two years (in the first and third years after each presidential election). Current justices retire in order of seniority as new justices are appointed. Retired justices can be called back by the Chief Justice to fill vacancies through a randomized process. The Senate must confirm nominees within 90 days (or 120 days for resubmitted nominations).

Why we flagged it

The bill's core mechanism is structural reform of the Supreme Court's appointment and tenure system, replacing lifetime tenure with fixed 18-year terms and a predictable appointment schedule. This is a constitutional-level governance change, not a narrow carve-out or subsidy.

What the text implies

• The randomized recall process for retired justices (Section 3(e)) creates a new category of 'semi-retired' justices available for emergency duty, potentially extending their influence beyond their active term and complicating the independence of the judiciary.
• Tying appointments to presidential election cycles (first and third years after election) means a president elected in year 1 appoints in years 2 and 4, but a president elected in year 5 appoints in years 6 and 8—creating asymmetry in appointment power depending on when a president takes office.

The full analysis lists 5 implications of this text.

Who it affects

Citizens gain predictability and democratic accountability through regular appointments tied to election cycles, reducing the randomness of vacancies and the influence of individual justices' health/longevity on the Court's composition. However, the bill also reduces the independence and stability of the judiciary by making justices' tenure dependent on a rigid schedule, potentially pressuring justices to time retirements or creating incentives around appointment cycles.