Biden takes first step toward remaking the Supreme Court

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Naysayers write off America as hopelessly broken and divided. Though it would be naive to suggest that we don't have major challenges, the reality is that our principles, truth, and decency still have enormous uniting power across political divides. Harnessing that power is key to renewing America's promise and delivering lasting solutions to the American people. Our shared future rests on independent thinking and a willingness to find and build on common ground—not on divisive politics or blind loyalty to any one person or party. We have a clear choice: stick with the division and extremism that plague us now, or renew America. I know where I stand. —Evan McMullin

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** A new day dawning for the SCOTUS?
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Maybe, if some Democrats get their wish. President Biden on Friday formed a 36-member bipartisan commission to study potential U.S. Supreme Court reforms, including adding justices or imposing term limits on their service instead of the current lifetime appointments. The number of justices has remained at nine since 1869, but Congress has the power to change the number and has done so before. Imposing term limits would likely require a constitutional amendment, though some scholars suggest it could be accomplished by statute. Stay tuned. —Reuters ([link removed])
* — Spending. Also on Friday, the Biden Administration released a budget outline for fiscal year 2022, calling for increases in spending on education, healthcare, and renewable energy. But for now, the focus is on infrastructure, as the president hosts bipartisan meetings to push his $2.3 trillion infrastructure package. The White House also has released a report that shows the dire shape of roads, bridges, the power grid, and housing affordability state by state. —Associated Press ([link removed])
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* — Policing. The White House is putting the creation of a national police oversight commission on hold. "Based on close, respectful consultation with partners in the civil rights community, the administration made the considered judgment that a police commission, at this time, would not be the most effective way to deliver on our top priority in this area, which is to sign the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act into law," Susan Rice, director of the Domestic Policy Council, said. —Politico ([link removed])
*
* — Vaccines. The Biden Administration is taking tentative steps toward an expanded role in global COVID-19 vaccination efforts. Up until this point, U.S. assistance to the World Health Organization-backed COVAX initiative has been mostly in the form of money. However, the federal government has been amassing doses, growing its supply into what will likely become a surplus soon. On average, the U.S. is now administering close to 3 million shots per day. —The Hill ([link removed])

MORE: What's in Biden's budget proposal? —The Wall Street Journal ([link removed])


** Religious exercise > public-health measures
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On Saturday, a divided 5-4 Supreme Court ordered California to permit in-home prayer meetings even as secular gatherings remain restricted by pandemic regulations. The decision comes after a pastor challenged state restrictions that prevented him from bringing congregants to his residence for prayer meetings and Bible study. The majority wrote that public-health regulations are suspect "whenever they treat any comparable secular activity more favorably than religious exercise." In her dissent, Justice Elena Kagan wrote, "California limits religious gatherings in homes to three households. If the state also limits all secular gatherings in homes to three households, it has complied with the First Amendment." —The Wall Street Journal ([link removed])

MORE: Trump's power won't peak for another 20 years —The Atlantic ([link removed])


** Perls: Primary power to the people
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"Political parties should be players in the political marketplace, not the rule-setters, and creating nonpartisan primaries puts the voters in charge, not the parties. The parties can and do still endorse their candidates, but they don't control who can vote in a public election." —Bob Perls in ([link removed]) The Santa Fe New Mexican ([link removed])

Bob Perls is a former state representative, U.S. diplomat, and founder of New Mexico Open Elections.

MORE: CEOs plot next moves against restrictive voting laws after Zoom summit —Axios ([link removed])


** Landmark police overhaul in Maryland
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Maryland enacted historic police accountability measures on Saturday, becoming the first state to repeal its powerful Law Enforcement Officers' Bill of Rights and setting new rules that raise the bar for when police may use force and how they are investigated and disciplined. The Democratic-majority legislature dealt Gov. Larry Hogan a sharp rebuke, overriding his vetoes of the measures, which give civilians a role in police discipline, restrict no-knock warrants, mandate body cameras, and open some allegations of police wrongdoing for public review. —The Washington Post ([link removed])

MORE: Black man's death in Minnesota traffic stop sparks unrest —Associated Press ([link removed])
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** Byman: Hateful rhetoric connects to real-world violence
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"There is a deceptively simple answer to the problem of incendiary rhetoric: Politicians should exercise restraint themselves and condemn their fellow leaders when they cross the line that separates inspiring their followers from encouraging violence. Unfortunately, this advice is unlikely to be heeded. President Trump succeeded politically in part because he broke political taboos, and a host of would-be successors are eager to capitalize on the energy of his base. For now, it is vital for social media companies to be vigilant in stopping violent rhetoric and for law enforcement to anticipate, and quickly suppress, violence before it spreads." —Daniel Byman at the ([link removed]) Brookings Institution ([link removed])

Daniel Byman is a senior fellow of foreign policy at the Brookings Institution's Center for Middle East Policy.

MORE: 'Clear the Capitol,' Pence pleaded, timeline of riot shows —Associated Press ([link removed])


** Focus on global democracy
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Secretary of State Antony Blinken is warning China and Russia against messing with two democracies allied with the U.S. Yesterday, he said there would be "consequences" if China strikes at Taiwan, and expressed "real concerns" about Russia's massing of forces on the border with Ukraine. Blinken stopped short of promising U.S. military intervention, but said, "All I can tell you is, it would be a serious mistake for anyone to try to change the existing status quo by force." —Politico ([link removed])
* — Peru. Far-left candidate Pedro Castillo is set to win Peru's first-round presidential election. With far less than 50% of the vote, he'll face the second-place candidate in a runoff vote in June. Castillo has pledged to redraft the constitution to weaken the Peruvian business elite and give the state a more dominant role in sectors such as mining, oil, hydropower, gas, and communications. —NBC News ([link removed])
*
* — Ecuador. Conservative Guillermo Lasso appears to have won Ecuador's presidential election, defeating Andrés Arauz, a leftist handpicked by former President Rafael Correa. Among the hallmarks of the election was the emergence of the Pachakutik party, representing the long marginalized Indigenous movement, as a key driver. In February, the party became the second-largest presence in Congress, shaping the agendas of both presidential candidates. —The New York Times ([link removed])
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* — Israel. Defense Sec. Lloyd Austin met with Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz in Tel Aviv over the weekend. Austin said he reaffirmed that the U.S.'s "commitment to Israel is enduring and ironclad," and Gantz said his country views the U.S. as a "full partner." The reinforcement of the relationship between the two democratic allies comes at a tense time in Israeli politics and amid the Biden Administration's efforts to revive nuclear negotiations with Israel's archenemy, Iran. —The Washington Post ([link removed])

MORE: Blaming Israel, Iran vows revenge for blackout at nuclear site —The New York Times ([link removed])


** Nicolais: Alaska gives hope to those of us stuck in the middle
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"Alaska's new unified, nonpartisan primary coupled with a four-person general election based on ranked-choice voting...is intended to reduce the impact of primary elections while ensuring that no individual can win by simply appealing to one, vocal segment of the population. Instead, it requires coalition-building. And moderation. And public servants willing to bring people together rather than pitting them against one another. Absent such fundamental and radical change, there is very little hope for centrists and moderates to truly enjoy representation any time soon. Most elected officials will remain beholden to small subsets of the population that can deliver a primary victory." —Mario Nicolais in ([link removed]) The Colorado Sun ([link removed])

Mario Nicolais is an attorney and columnist who writes on law enforcement, the legal system, healthcare, and public policy.

MORE: Democrats and Republicans stay quiet as lone legal challenge advances against Alaska's new ranked-choice voting system —Anchorage Daily News ([link removed])

The insurrection on Jan. 6 happened. There are videos of it happening; the world saw it happen. The fact that Republicans will lie about it and manipulate the facts shows their depraved indifference to our Republic and the laws of the United States. They should be removed from any authority over the citizens of the U.S. Trump is their downfall, and with a few exceptions, they are so greedy, power-hungry, and twisted like Trump, they are useless. This is why we most certainly need an independent commission to investigate, apart from any agency and apart from all politics and influence. —Donna C., California

I believe that having a huge number of our citizens who believe in ridiculous conspiracy theories is a national security threat. The leaders of China and Russia are watching us and looking for weaknesses. Delusional people are ripe targets for disinformation. They also portray our country as being weak-minded and lacking in fortitude. The only thing that tyrants respect is strength. Displays of idiocy and the propagation of Donald Trump's Big Lie, by the once globally respected Republican Party, are anything but a show of national resolve.

It is long past time for GOP leaders to puncture the balloon that a phony braggard is still allowed to keep inflated. Sending his ego-driven tantrums to the trash bin is a national security imperative. The world needs a united United States. President Biden is right about what we can do if we do it together. We landed on the moon decades before there were anything like the modern super computers that exist today. No other country in the world has yet accomplished that amazing feat. We are not the enemy. If the GOP wants to fight a culture war, they should fight it with Russia.

As has been correctly stated for ages, "If you want peace, prepare for war." Does Putin think that we will honor our Article Five NATO obligations? If he doesn't, the threat of war in Europe will increase. He does know that Europeans will fight for their homelands. We had better demonstrate that we, as a unified nation, will stand next to them, and not continue to pretend that America First is a viable alternative to having allies. The same policies apply to China, Taiwan, and the South China Sea. Appeasement didn't work with Hitler. Incremental caving in to China or Russia will not achieve peace or international stability. This country needs to remember and reemphasize the June 26, 1963, words of JFK: "Ich bin ein Berliner." —Bill M., Pennsylvania
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** The views expressed in "What's Your Take?" are submitted by readers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the editorial staff or the Stand Up Republic Foundation.
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