WASHINGTON, July 1 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) on Monday issued the following statement on the right-wing takeover of the United States Supreme Court in its spate of recent decisions:

Over the years, among other disastrous rulings, this right-wing court has given us Citizens United, which created a corrupt, billionaire dominated political system. It overturned Roe v. Wade, removing women’s constitutional right to control their own bodies. Last week, the Court chose to criminalize poverty by banning homeless encampments in public spaces – forcing more poor people into the cycle of debt and poverty. With the Chevron case, they have made it far more difficult for the government to address the enormous crises we face in terms of climate change, public health, workers’ rights, and many other areas. And, today, the Court ruled in favor of broad presidential immunity, making it easier for Trump and other politicians to break the law without accountability.

These are just some of the dangerous rulings from a right-wing, corporate-sponsored Supreme Court that continues to serve an extremist agenda. If these conservative justices want to make public policy, they should simply quit the Supreme Court and run for political office.  

At a time of massive income and wealth inequality, billionaire control of our political system, and major threats to the foundations of American democracy, it is clear to me that we need real Supreme Court reform. A strong, enforceable code of ethics is a start, but just a start. We’ll need much more than that.