'The court is being de-legitimized': Sen. Booker on reforming SCOTUS

HE KNOWS WHAT IT'S LIKE TO FIGHT WITH KAMALA HARRIS IN THE TRENCHES AFTER WORKING WITH HER IN THE SENATE AND DURING HER TIME AS VICE PRESIDENT. JOINING US NOW, DEMOCRATIC SENATOR CORY BOOKER OF NEW JERSEY. HE'S A MEMBER OF THE FOREIGN RELATIONS AND JUDICIARY COMMITTEES. AND SENATOR, WE'LL GET TO THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL IN A MOMENT. BUT FIRST, FROM YOUR PERCH ON THE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE, LET'S GET YOUR REACTION TO WHAT YOU HEARD FROM PRESIDENT BIDEN THIS MORNING, CALLING FOR A PRETTY SWEEPING OVERHAUL OF THE SUPREME COURT, INSTITUTING A CODE OF ETHICS, INSTITUTING A TERM LIMITS FOR JUSTICES WHO CURRENTLY DO NOT HAVE ANY, AND SUGGESTING THAT PRESIDENTS SHOULD NOT HAVE IMMUNITY, CALLING FOR A CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT TO BASICALLY OVERTURN WHAT THE COURT RULED A FEW WEEKS AGO. HOW IMPORTANT IS THIS, WHAT WE'RE HEARING FROM THE PRESIDENT TODAY? >> FIRST OF ALL, I DON'T SEE IT AS SO SWEEPING, IT'S ACTUALLY VERY PRAGMATIC REFORMS TO THE COURT THAT MOST AMERICANS AND BOTH SIDES OF THE AISLE AGREE WITH. THINK ABOUT THIS FOR A SECOND. NUMBER ONE, THE HIGHEST COURT IN THE LAND SHOULD NOT HAVE THE LOWEST ETHICS LAWS. AND THE INSTITUTION IS BEING UNDERMINED AS A FAR RIGHT-WING BILLIONAIRE EXTREMISTS ARE LAVISHING MILLIONS OF DOLLARS WORTH OF GIFTS ON SUPREME COURT MEMBERS. AND THEY HAVE INTERESTS IN MATTERS THAT ARE BEFORE THOSE COURTS. THAT IS WRONG, AND WE SHOULD HAVE HIGH ETHICS RULES. AND WE ALL KNOW THAT. NUMBER TWO, THE TERM LIMIT IS ACTUALLY IN LINE WITH EVERY OTHER MAJOR CONSTITUTIONAL DEMOCRACY. WE'RE THIS OUTLIER. IN MANY WAYS, WE CORRECTED THAT WITH THE PRESIDENCY, BY PUTTING TERM LIMITS, BUT NOW WE HAVE LIFETIME APPOINTMENTS, WHICH CREATES A SYSTEM IN WHICH A PRESIDENT WHO APPOINTS SOMEONE ONLY WHEN THAT PERSON DECIDES TO RESIGN. AND YOU CREATE THIS ARBITRARY SYSTEM WHERE YOU OFTEN ARE INCENTIVIZING PEOPLE STY ON FAR TOO LONG. GIVING TERM LIMITS GIVES SOME REGULARITY AND PREDICTABILITY TO OUR COURTS AND HAS PEOPLE INVOLVED IN THE PRESIDENCY AND THEIR ELECTIONS KNOWING IF WE ELECT A PRESIDENT, THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TWO APPOINTMENTS TO THE HIGHEST COURTS IN THE LAND, AND PREVENTS ONE PRESIDENT FROM HAVING AN OUTSIZED INFLUENCE ON THE COURT, BUT ACTUALLY MAKING IT A SYSTEM THAT MAKES SENSE. AND SO THESE ARE THINGS THAT I SUPPORT. ME, SENATOR WHITEHOUSE, WHO'S BEEN A LEADER ON SUPREME COURT ISSUES, SENATOR PADILLA, AS WELL AS SENATOR BLUMENTHAL, ALL HAVE A BILL THAT REFLECTS WHAT THE PRESIDENT HAS PUT FORWARD TODAY. >> SENATOR, THERE'S LITTLE-TO-NO CHANCE THIS COULD PASS THIS YEAR, GIVEN THE CURRENT MAKEUP OF THE CONGRESS, BUT DO YOU THINK GIVEN YOUR PRIVATE CONVERSATIONS WITH REPUBLICANS, WHETHER IT'S SOME TIME DOWN THE ROAD, DO WE THINK THEY WOULD EVER ENGAGE ON SOMETHING LIKE THIS? >> I CERTAINLY HOPE SO. THESE ARE IDEAS THAT DON'T COME FROM ONE SIDE OF THE AISLE. PEOPLE WERE TALKING ABOUT TERM LIMITS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE AISLE FOR A VERY LONG TIME. THIS IS COMMON SENSE. IF WE WANT TO PRESERVE THE STRENGTH OF OUR INSTITUTIONS, IF WE WANT TO REALLY MAKE OUR DEMOCRACY, NOT SOMETHING THAT'S POLITICIZED, BUT REALLY MAKE SURE THAT OUR SUPREME COURT TAKES BACK THAT IDEAL OF THE HIGHEST STANDARDS IN OUR SOCIETY, THESE ARE STEPS THAT WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO TAKE, BECAUSE WHAT'S HAPPENING TO THE COURT RIGHT NOW IS IT'S BEING DELELEGITIMATIZED BY THE KIND OF POLITICS AND PARTISANSHIP OF OUR ERA. WE NEED PREDICTABLE, WE NEED TO END THIS ARBITRARY NATURE OF APPOINTMENTS AND PEOPLE DECIDING WHETHER THEY WANT TO STEP DOWN OR NOT. THESE ARE COMMON SENSE THINGS THAT WILL RESTORE A LOT OF LEGITIMACY TO THE COURT AND I'M GLAD THE PRESIDENT CAME FORWARD IN A VERY THOUGHTFUL MANNER ON THIS. >> ONE MORE THING ON THIS TOPIC, OF THE THREE REFORMS THAT THE PRESIDENT PROPOSED, WHICH DO YOU THINK WOULD BE MOST IMPORTANT? IF YOU COULD ONLY HAVE ONE, WHAT'S THE MOST VITAL? >> AGAIN, OUR COURTS SHOULD NOT BE FOR SALE. WE SHOULD NOT HAVE A SITUATION WHERE SUPREME COURT MEMBERS COULD TAKE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF GIFTS FROM PEOPLE WHO HAVE MATTERS OR INTERESTS BEFORE THE COURT. THAT IS JUST SO WRONG. AND AGAIN, IT'S GOING TO UNDERMINE OUR DEMOCRACY, DELEGITIMIZE THE INSTITUTIONS, SO THAT ME IS VERY IMPORTANT. BUT I WILL TELL YOU, THE IDEA OF TERM LIMITS, LIKE THEY WERE FOR THE PRESIDENCY, I THINK IS VERY COMMON SENSE. HAVING AN 18-YEAR TERM, PUTTING US IN LINE WITH MOST CONSTITUTIONAL DEMOCRACIES, AND SOMETHING THAT IS VERY POPULAR WITH PEOPLE ON BOTH SIDES OF THE POLITICAL AISLE, WRIT LARGE. >> SENATOR, I'M SUPPOSED TO BE ON VACATION THIS WEEK, AND LIKE SO MANY AMERICANS, I'M SPENDING IT AT THE JERSEY SHORE IN ASBURY PARK, WHICH IS ONE OF AMERICA'S BEST CITIES. I JUST WANT TO THANK JERSEY FOR THAT. I JUST LOVE IT SO MUCH. BUT I GOT TO TALK TO YOU AND GOVERNOR WHITMER, SO I'M HAPPY TO BE HERE. TELL ME ABOUT -- YOU WERE JUST IN NEVADA, I BELIEVE, FOR THE HARRIS CAMPAIGN. TELL ME ABOUT HOW, YOU KNOW, HOW YOU'RE SEEING THE RACE, WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING TO YOU IN NEVADA, HOW THEY'RE FEELING ABOUT THINGS, WHAT'S ON THEIR MIND, HOW THEY'RE FEELING ABOUT THE TICKET? >> I'M LITERALLY JUST FLYING IN ON A RED EYE AND STILL ENERGIZED BY THE FEELING I GOT ON THE GROUND IN NEVADA. I WILL TELL YOU RIGHT NOW, THE YOUTH ENTHUSIASM IS THROUGH THE CHARTS. VOLUNTEERS COMING FORWARD. WE HAD PACKED CAMPAIGN HEADQUARTERS, GOING OUT ON HOT, HOT DAYS TO STILL KNOCK ON DOORS AND DO THE WORKS OF CAMPAIGNS. AND PEOPLE ARE DONATING AT RECORD NUMBERS. WE HAVE THE BIG MO, AS THEY SAY IN SPORTS. WE HAVE THE BIG MOMENTUM RIGHT NOW. AND IN A RACE THAT HAS ABOUT 99 DAYS OR SO LEFT, WE HAVE GOT TO CONTINUE TO PRESS THAT EFFORT. AND REMEMBER, THIS IS NOT JUST THE PRESIDENTIAL RACE. IN NEVADA, LIKE A HANDFUL OF STATES, THERE'S A CONTESTED SENATE RACE, WHERE WE HAVE AN EXTRAORDINARY CANDIDATE, JACKY ROSEN, WHO WILL NEED EVERY VOTE THAT SHE CAN GET. AND WE HAVE A LOT OF KEY HOUSE RACES THAT WILL DETERMINE WHICH WAY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES IS GOING. SO THIS MOMENTUM AROUND THE HARRIS CAMPAIGN IS SO IMPORTANT FOR OUR OTHER RACES HERE IN CONGRESS. >> SENATOR BOOKER, YOU WORK CLOSELY WITH THE VICE PRESIDENT, WHEN SHE WAS IN THE SENATE. THERE'S NO CHANCE THAT YOU'RE BEING VETTED, POTENTIALLY, FOR VICE PRESIDENT? >> THERE IS NO CHANCE THAT I AM BEING VETTED FOR THE VICE PRESIDENT. I WAS SMILING ABOUT THAT. IT WOULD BE WHAT A WONDERFUL DAY THAT WE WOULD HAVE IN OUR COUNTRY WHERE THAT MIGHT BE A POSSIBILITY IN THE FUTURE, BUT RIGHT NOW, I DON'T THINK THERE'S GOING TO BE TWO AFRICAN-AMERICANS ON THIS TICKET. I ACTUALLY THINK THAT THE VICE PRESIDENT HAS EXTRAORDINARY PEOPLE TO CHOOSE FROM, SOME PEOPLE THAT REALLY EXCITED ME, THAT I'VE HAD CHANCES TO WORK WITH, WHETHER IT'S PRITZKER OR SHAPIRO, BUT OBVIOUSLY, I AM IN THE SENATE WITH SOMEBODY THAT IS AN AMERICAN HERO IN MARK KELLY, LITERALLY LANDING FIGHTER PLANES ON AIRCRAFT CARRIERS, A NASA ASTRONAUT, HE'S OUT OF THIS WORLD, FOR CRYING OUT LOUD! AND HE DID SOMETHING THAT HE'S GOING TO HAVE TO TEACH ME HOW TO DO, HE MARRIED UP WITH GABBY GIFFORDS, WHO IS HERSELF AN AMERICAN HERO. SO SHE HAS GREAT CHOICES, SOMETHING THAT I KNOW REALLY WELL, AND KNOW THAT THEY WOULD HELP TO CARRY THE TICKET, EVEN TO A HIGHER LEVEL OF ENTHUSIASM AND EXCITEMENT AND ULTIMATELY SERVICE IN THE WHITE HOUSE. >> SENATOR, WE WILL FORGIVE THIS "HOW FAR THIS WORLD" LINE AND WE APPRECIATE -- >> HE'S GOT THE RIGHT STUFF, COME ON! >> YOU'RE MAKING IT WORK! YOU'RE MAKING IT