Samuel Alito Warns Congress Could Defund Supreme Court
Justice Samuel Alito warned that Congress could shut down the Supreme Court by defunding its activities, following a Democratic sweep of the House and Senate.
Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito warned that the United States Congress possesses the power to effectively shut down the nation's highest court by defunding its activities. Speaking Thursday at the Federalist Society's annual Antonin Scalia Memorial Dinner in Washington, D.C., Alito stated that Congress could "turn off the lights" and stop court operations, arguing that preserving judicial independence is essential to maintaining the Constitution as adopted in 1789.
These remarks follow a midterm election sweep that gave Democrats control of both the House and Senate. Democratic lawmakers have proposed expanding the court, implementing term limits, and introducing stricter ethics standards. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez suggested the possibility of impeaching justices, while Representative Jamie Raskin and Senator Sheldon Whitehouse have coordinated efforts to investigate and subpoena members of the court.
Alito characterized the judiciary as the least dangerous and most vulnerable branch of government. He also criticized lower-court judges for issuing "unjustified" nationwide injunctions against presidential policies, which he argued has increased the court's emergency docket.
The speech comes after Alito recently dismissed reports of his retirement, confirming he will remain on the court through next year. Separately, the Supreme Court disclosed that Alito received medical treatment for dehydration in Philadelphia in March.
