I'd toss six Supreme Court justices if I could: Jindal

Since announcing his candidacy, Jindal has suggested that the nation could save some money by shuttering the court

Bobby Jindal
Press Trust of India Washington
Last Updated : Aug 08 2015 | 1:52 PM IST
Annoyed with Supreme Court rulings on Obamacare and same sex marriages, Republican presidential aspirant Bobby Jindal has said if given a chance he would toss out half-a-dozen judges of the apex court, including two nominated by Presidents George W Bush and Ronald Reagan.

The recent 5-4 ruling in favour of same-sex marriage and 6-3 ruling in favour of Obamacare subsidies have sparked a conservative backlash against the Supreme Court, including from Jindal, who said the court appears to be more interested in following public opinion polls than abiding by the Constitution.

Since announcing his candidacy in June, the 44-year-old Indian-American Louisiana Governor has suggested that the nation could save some money by shuttering the court.

"Hillary Clinton didn't like that answer," Jindal said at the RedState Gathering in Atlanta yesterday.

"She thought that was extreme, so I have a compromise: instead of getting rid of the entire Supreme Court what if we got rid of about two-thirds of the Supreme Court," Jindal was quoted as saying by Washington Times.

"I mean there are three justices that got it right," he said. "I wouldn't mind keeping Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas and Antonio Scalia. It is the other six I wouldn't mind getting rid of," he added.

The six members he wants to remove include Chief Justice John G Roberts Jr, nominated by Bush, and Anthony M Kennedy, nominated by Reagan.

Roberts and Kennedy ruled in favour of the Obamacare subsidies. Kennedy also supported the same-sex marriage ruling.

Obamacare is a US law aimed at reforming the American healthcare system.
*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Aug 08 2015 | 12:42 PM IST

Next Story