Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., on Sunday demanded that the U.S. House launch impeachment probes into right-wing Supreme Court justices as part of a broader plan to reform the nation's chief judicial body following its decision to end the constitutional right to abortion.
Omar, the whip for the Congressional Progressive Caucus, argued that Justice Clarence Thomas should be investigated for his "role in the January 6th coup," a reference to his wife Ginni's close involvement in efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.
Justices Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett should face congressional inquiries for potentially lying to lawmakers about their views on Roe v. Wade, the Minnesota Democrat added, echoing her progressive colleague Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y.
"Congress... has the authority to impeach members of the Supreme Court and has done so before," Omar noted in a series of tweets on Sunday as much of the nation reeled from the far-reaching implications of the court's decision Friday, which had an immediate impact across the country as people were turned away from abortion clinics.
We need an impeachment investigation into Clarence Thomas’s role in the January 6th coup, as well as into Gorsuch, Alito, Barrett, and Kavanaugh’s testimony on Roe during their confirmation hearings.
— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) June 26, 2022
5 justices confirmed by a POTUS who lost the popular vote.
— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) June 26, 2022
4 lied under oath.
2 credibly accused of sexual assault.
1’s seat literally stolen.
1’s spouse implicated in a coup attempt.
It is not enough to tell people to vote. We need a comprehensive plan to fix this court.
Omar also pushed Democratic leaders to embrace longstanding progressive calls for the repeal of the Senate filibuster rule and support legislation that would add four justices to the Supreme Court—a proposal that President Joe Biden opposes.
"Congress can change the number of justices on the court at any time, and has done so seven times throughout history," Omar wrote Sunday. "In the face of stolen seats, a sitting justice implicated in a coup attempt, and a dangerous crisis of legitimacy, it should absolutely be on the table."
With Democratic campaign arms moving quickly to place abortion rights at the center of their midterm messaging, Omar implored her party's leadership to recognize that "it is not enough to tell people to vote."
"We need a comprehensive plan to fix this court," Omar wrote. "And yes, we need you to demand your members of Congress support reform and vote for members who do. But we as leaders need to articulate a clear and bold reform agenda that meets the seriousness and danger of this moment. That is step #1."
