Senate committee approves SCOTUS ethics bill

The committee voted 11-10 along party lines on Thursday to impose a code of conduct on Supreme Court justices. Republicans unanimously opposed the bill, saying it would make it harder for the court to do its job. Democrats initially proposed the bill over ethics concerns after ProPublica reported earlier this year that Justice Clarence Thomas took luxurious vacations with a wealthy GOP donor. Other reports have emerged that Justice Samuel Alito also took trips with conservative donors, and Justice Sonia Sotomayor used her office to promote books she wrote.

What would this code of ethics include? Justices would have to provide more information about potential conflicts of interest. It would also require them to publicize their reasons for recusing themselves from a case—or choosing not to do so in certain circumstances. The bill is not expected to get enough votes to advance on the Senate floor.

Dig deeper: Listen to Mary Reichard’s report on The World and Everything in It podcast about the debate surrounding the Supreme Court’s ethical standards.