AUSTIN (Nexstar) — President Joe Biden commemorated the 60th anniversary of the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964 at the LBJ Presidential Library in Austin Monday, calling for major reforms to the justice system as his solution for preserving those liberties.
It was Biden's first major speech since addressing the nation from the Oval Office last week, in which he explained to Americans his decision to bow out of the 2024 race.
The president touted his administration's efforts to preserve civil rights, and called for significant reforms to the U.S. Supreme Court. Biden specifically wants to see term limits and a required code of conduct for justices, as well as creating a constitutional amendment to limit presidential immunity.
"We can and must prevent the abuse of presidential power and restore faith in the Supreme Court. We can and must strengthen the guardrails of democracy," Biden told a group of invited attendees at the LBJ Presidential Library on Monday.
Biden cited recent decisions from the nation's highest court that he said led him to the reform proposals, saying those decisions have "undermined long established civil rights principles and protections."
"I have respect for institutions and the separation of powers laid out in the Constitution, but what's happening now is not consistent with that doctrine of separation of powers," the president said. "Extremism is undermining the public confidence in the court's decisions."
Biden's proposals have a tough road ahead with a divided Congress, and mere months left in his term as president.
House Speaker Mike Johnson already signaled he would block such legislation, saying the president's criticism of the high court is "dangerous," and the proposals would be "dead on arrival in the House."
Austin Congressman Michael McCaul also criticized Biden's remarks, calling it "partisan."
"President Biden’s partisan speech in Austin attempted scare Americans into supporting his radical overhaul of our nation's highest court, another example of his administration trying to rig the game when they don't feel like they are winning," McCaul said in a statement to Nexstar.
Biden's remarks were originally scheduled to take place two weeks ago, but the event got postponed after the July 13 attempted assassination on Biden's then-opponent, former President Donald Trump.
After Biden announced he was dropping out of the race, the backdrop for this speech at the LBJ library became a significant coincidence — as Lyndon Baines Johnson was the last sitting president to not seek a second term in office.
Part of the reason why Biden dropped out started with Austin Congressman Lloyd Doggett. While not the most powerful Democrat in Washington, Doggett was the first democratic member of Congress to publicly call for the president to step out of the race in early July.
After that, an increasing number of Democrats began to pressure Biden to end his bid for re-election, until Biden ultimately ended his campaign on July 21.
The longtime Austin congressman welcomed Biden on the tarmac Monday, in what was their first face-to-face interaction after Doggett called on the president to drop out.
"He reacted in a very friendly way and thanked me for my call," the representative said.
Doggett told Nexstar he believes Democrats "were on the path to defeat" prior to Biden stepping aside and endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris as his successor.
Now, the congressman said he hopes Biden's decision is part of his legacy.
"I think he'll be remembered as a very productive president who accomplished much under breaks adverse circumstances...as someone who was willing to make a personal sacrifice, putting ego behind letting country go first," Doggett said.
