Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) has strongly condemned the Supreme Court's recent decisions on affirmative action and President Biden's student loan forgiveness program, characterizing them as an "abuse of power" and a move towards authoritarianism. Speaking on CNN's "State of the Union," Ocasio-Cortez argued that the Court is exceeding its authority and advocated for discussions about judicial review as a means of checking the Court's power.
The congresswoman's remarks follow several significant rulings by the Supreme Court, including the rejection of race as a factor in college admissions, a decision in favor of a Christian web designer who declined to create websites for same-sex weddings, and the overturning of President Biden's student loan debt relief initiative. These rulings have drawn sharp criticism from Democrats, who view them as attacks on progressive policies.
Ocasio-Cortez expressed concern that the Court's decisions reflect a dangerous trend towards authoritarianism and the concentration of power within the judiciary. She referenced Justice Elena Kagan's observation that the Court is increasingly assuming legislative powers. A vocal advocate for limiting the Court's influence, Ocasio-Cortez has previously suggested court-packing as a potential solution. In her recent CNN interview, she went further, proposing subpoenas and impeachment as options to address what she perceives as misconduct and overreach.
Specifically, Ocasio-Cortez called for considering subpoenas for Chief Justice John Roberts if he refuses to appear before Congress for an investigation. She also emphasized the need for stronger ethics guidelines for Supreme Court justices, citing Justice Clarence Thomas's refusal to recuse himself from cases involving his wife's connection to the January 6th events.
The congresswoman's stance contrasts with President Biden's recent statement against expanding the Supreme Court. During an MSNBC interview, Biden expressed concern that such a move would further politicize the Court. He suggested that some justices might be recognizing the growing questions surrounding the Court's legitimacy.
Following the Supreme Court's affirmative action ruling, Ocasio-Cortez also questioned the Court's commitment to colorblindness, pointing to the continued practice of legacy admissions, which often favor white applicants. She argued that if the Court were truly committed to colorblindness, it would have addressed legacy admissions as well.
This critique sparked debate on social media, with some users arguing that the issue of legacy admissions was not directly before the Court in the affirmative action case.
