Activists call for Supreme Court reforms after wave of scandals

DETROIT (FOX 2) - Michigan Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib joined activists on Wednesday to call for major reforms to the country's judicial branch after recent ethics investigations regarding the court have come to light.

Tlaib is calling for change and was joined by activists from the Just Majority campaign. They stopped in Detroit on Wednesday as part of the campaign's nationwide tour.

"We can’t expect residents and citizens to have faith and believe in Supreme Court if we can’t hold them accountable," Tlaib said. 

Tlaib was joined by the former president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Cecile Richards, and reproductive rights advocate Karen Finney.

"We are here today because the Supreme Court is no longer a source of justice." said Richards.

Congresswoman Tlaib supports a bill that would call for Supreme Court reforms. The bill will require Supreme Court justices to adopt and follow a code of ethics

"Supreme Court Ethics Act and Supreme Court Recusal and transparency act which I proudly am supporting," Tlaib said. "These bills will ensure that the Supreme Court have independent ethics investigation."

The cries for change come as some justices have make headlines recently, including Justice Clarence Thomas who has been in the news for accepting expensive travel perks from a GOP donor

The Supreme Court is the only court in the country without a code of ethics," Tlaib said. "While these bills move through congress it imperative that my colleagues on the senate judiciary committee investigate the misconduct of these justices."

She also takes issue with the lack of term limits.

"They use their lifetime appointments to shield themselves from any accountability and that’s why I’m proud to support Supreme Court term limits and regular appointments act," Tlaib said.

Activists also argue that lifetime appointments allow too much power over critical  issues Ike reproductive rights as Roe v Wade was overturned last year.

"These justices decided that their political and religious views were more important than the health and well being of women in America," Richardsd said.

Now these activists want voters to contact their representatives to make their voices heard

"So the more people know and lobby their members of Congress, their senators, their elected officials, that this is an important issue for us, the more support we hope to grow," Finney said.